The Meaning of Existence
by APKForever
Summary: 16 year old Joanna never knew what it was like to live with a loving family until The Keatons came into her life and welcomed her into their home.
1. Words by Alex P Keaton

The Meaning of Existence

* * *

_Words by Alex P Keaton_

I am Alex P Keaton.

Something I realized was that I, as a person haven't changed very much over the last few years. It's these certain events that happened yearly that always got me thinking that with whatever little or a lot of change there's been in my life, I figured that this was just pretty much who I was and that relieved me in a strange sort of way.

The other day my doctor wanted to know what I thought "the purpose of life was..."  
As I sat under my window contemplating that question—hail outside came down in angry chunks. The sky lit up in an odd green and yellow color and there was a plethora of water rushing down the length of my street. Of all the years I lived here—I never pictured it being under water.

As the tree next door came down with quick, splintering cracks—part of it fell in my front yard. It fell on my dad's car—busted his windshield and dented his hood and trapped Mallory's car between the fallen branches.

It was just a matter of time before the rest of that tree fell and destroyed another car or part of the house.

All I could think of was what my doctor had said the other day—what the purpose of _life_ was—and asked what did I do that day that I was proud of—the hardening fact was that I had "nothing," to say. _That_ was my answer. I did nothing that made me proud of my day. I slept, woke up, went to the library, fell asleep reading and now if a giant oak were to crush me to a fine powder I would not be able to list one productive thing about my last day on Earth.

Life could be funny like that or ironic. One minute we'd be with our best friend reminiscing over keepsake memories from our childhoods; and the next we're watching 80 mph winds tear our street to pieces with all these memories flashing in our heads synched to the beat of our pounding hearts.

I guess the purpose of life wasn't just learning to weather storms; it was about doing things that make us proud of ourselves, so that when the storm did come, we'd have enough karmic ammo not only to survive, but to succeed. Figuring out how to thrive in this life was certainly a challenge that gave rise to the meaning of existence and the meaning of life.

My sister Mallory said the meaning of life was to be happy, try not to hurt anyone and hope to fall in love.

That was the best advice anyone could ever give me and it was surprising coming from her. I sometimes wished I could live the life of Mallory Keaton for a day (not because I want to catch a good sale at Bloomingdales, but because I want to be able to see a complex thing in a simple way.)

You see sometimes I have a problem thinking that love can exist.

I remembered the time I let my best friend Skippy talk me into making a dating video for a profile site that swore would help you meet "the one."

That was a big mistake.

"_I uh, I'm not really good at this. This feels a bit awkward, Skip."_

"_It really works. Trust me. Ok now talk." Skippy pressed record. "Start with your name."_

"_I'm Alex P Keaton._

_So, this is supposed to be where I talk myself up and try to convince you that I'm the man of your dreams. But let's be honest, shall we? Most of you will give my profile a cursory glance and not take time to really read what I write so, I make it easy for you._

_As you can tell, I'm an old-fashioned Midwestern type of guy which means I will open your doors and tell you how amazing you are. I tend to be quite sarcastic in my humor, which much to my chagrin, many people don't "get." I enjoy intelligent conversation and would like to meet someone who can keep me engaged and makes me laugh. The ability to read and write would be nice as well. I know, my standards are way too high. You can never really get to know someone by reading what they write about themselves (consider the source), so I'll leave the rest to discovery._

_A quote someone said to me once that I would like to end with._

_"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life."_

_"Ok done recording." Skippy stopped it. "I will upload the video for you on the profile and tell you how everything goes."_

_"I just realized something very important about myself tonight, Skip."_

_"Yeah what's that?"_

"_I talk too much about myself. I should work on fixing that."_

As I walked home that night wondering what I had just stumbled on to, I thought about all the girls I had dated. Ellen. Lauren. Marty Brody.

I really felt like I found the most important person in my life other than my family but then I lost what I thought I found.

Sometimes I find myself questioning the aspects of love.

Sometimes I tell myself that love is a form of self delusion. I suppose the question of love is a very diverse one, since the word has been used to describe about half the human emotions one can be susceptible to. In a sense, yes, it is a delusion, but it is also part of the illusion by which we create our place in our world, and by which we view how we relate the people closest to us. In a sense, it is less important to us what it is, than that it provides the binding force that emotionally binds us to our closest points within our society, the people upon whom we choose to depend the greatest. It is our imagined safety net (whether it actually works like that or not is another matter) that allows us to take the greatest risks with a few people. Without it, we would not dare to take those risks.

I do know that there are a lot of things that I love dearly.

Money being one of them and making a lot of it. Nixton another. Ronald Regan. My younger brother. My sisters. My mom and dad. They are all very important to me.

Another great quote I heard, but this one I discovered for myself:

_"True love cannot be found where it truly does not exist, Nor can it be hidden where it truly does."_


	2. An Addition

An Addition

* * *

The year was 1975 at the Keaton Family residence and they were having dinner. Mallory was 14. Alex P. Keaton was 16 and Jennifer was 12 years old.

"We are getting another addition to our family." Elise told them.

"Oh let me guess … we're getting a puppy?" Alex asked.

"Not quite."

"A cat?" Jennifer inquired.

"No."

"You're having another baby?" Mallory looked surprised.

"No. No." Elise seemed as if she was getting frustrated. "I am not having a baby and I am not pregnant, guys … but it is a girl and I am letting her stay here."

Alex looked confused. "Why do we need another girl here? Can't you just be like a cool mom for once and get us a puppy?"

"Alex, you don't like animals." Jen reminded him.

"Now I do."

"Back to the topic. I am good friends with her mother, but her mother is in the hospital. She is very sick."

"She has a terminal illness?" Mallory asked.

"No. Mental."

Alex chucked to himself and started to eat more of his rice. "Mental? Where do you hang out to pick up your friends? Southgate? Do you see what happens when you hang out with those crazy folks? They get too familiar and then expect you to take care of their kids because they are too incompetent to do it."

"Alex, listen … when I want your commentary over the situation I will ask for it, but for now I want you to be understanding."

"Fine. I will."

"What's her name mom?" Jen asked.

"It's Joanna."

"That's a very pretty name."

"Yes it is, and I am sure she would like to hear that."

"I always wanted a little sister." Jen admits.

"You got me for an older brother." Alex told him. "What do you need a little sister for?"

"Well I am the youngest and you guys are always busy." She said. "I mean half the time when you have to babysit me you have to flip coins or Alex leaves me with a bunch of winos."

"That only happened once." Alex told her.

"How old is she?" Mallory asked.

"Alex is about 2 years older than her."

"What types of movies does she like? Anything interesting?" Jen asked.

"Well from what I know she has a collection of Muppet movies she is going to bring. She loves Jim Henson."

"Who doesn't love Jim Henson? He is a genius. I mean he is no Richard Nixon but if he ran for president, he'd get my vote: him and the frog." Alex raised his fork in the air.

Mallory turned then to her mother.

"I am all up for the idea. But I was just thinking, do we even have enough room? I mean if we didn't, we could always let her share with Alex." Mallory smiled gleefully at her brother.

"Oh no. She is not staying in my room. You're a girl you should bond. Do girl things together. Take her shopping."

"Staying with Alex would be a bad idea, he'll just bore her to death and she'll leave." Jen noted.

"We have enough room." Elise said. "There is the guest room upstairs across from Alex, remember."

"Oh yeah. That was your old painting room." Mallory said.

"And maybe I would have liked to use that as my office one of these days …" Alex started to say. "When pigs fly." He finished and started to cut his steak up.

"So what happened to Joanna?" Jennifer asked. "I mean I know her mother is sick, but who was she staying with before?"

"Her father." Elise leaned over and whispered something out to Mallory and Alex. "He's abusive."

"Oh." Mallory looked shocked. "I'm really sorry."

"She never had a good childhood. And having a sick mother doesn't help the situation at all."

"That's horrible." Mallory said.

"She doesn't have any other family?" Alex asked.

"No one." Elise sighed. "Well, I don't want to get in any of it now. I am sure she doesn't want to talk about it, but when she is ready we will be there. The last thing I need is for you to make her feel like an outsider, Alex."

"Listen mom … I may have a sense of humor and I was put on this earth to be a pain in the ass on a daily basis, but when it comes to any forms of child abuse, I don't tolerate any of it."

Elise hushed Alex.

"Oh. Sorry."

"Joanna is very sweet girl." Steve ensured everyone. "And I am very happy to have her in my home."

"I can't wait to meet her." Jen said.

"Me too." Mallory said.

Alex wasn't saying anything.

"Alex?" Elise called out his name.

"What?" He looked up. "Oh of course. Count me in. "It is all well and good, seriously … but I still think we should get a puppy." He told her. Elise threw a dinner roll at him. "I'm Kidding! I'm kidding!"


	3. Pens and Pencils

Pens and Pencils

* * *

"Hey girls I'm going to the store in a second to pick up dinner. I am running out of ideas. Anything you want in particular?" Elise walked into the kitchen and looked at her two daughters who happened to be up early enough to talk.

Neither ones of them threw out ideas to her. They just sort of stared at her for a little while, before she realized she can't ask us questions like that, that early in the morning. She always forgot though.

"Joanna should be here later today. Her teacher from school is helping her pack up a few things and then Steven is going pick her up."

"Ok." Mallory said.

"Oh and Mallory…I was snooping through your brother's text messages—he's been sketchy. One of his friends sent him a text that said, "Hey, can you get me a cheeseburger?" What does that _mean_?"

"Ummm… it probably means "hey, can you get me a cheeseburger?"

"Oh…are you sure? I just thought maybe it could be some sort of hip secret code for some type of drug or something."

Mallory looked at Jen with a raised eyebrow. She offered nothing but a shrug of a shoulder. It was just way too early in the morning. After their mother walked out of the kitchen Jen poured cereal into a bowl and their brother Alex made his presence known.

"Good morning. It's time for another dosage of the infamous Alex P. Keaton. You guys up for it?"

"Oh Alex you better be on the look out. Mom has been snooping through your text messages. She thinks cheeseburgers are some type of slang for an illegal drug that everyone is supposed to know about."

"What?" Alex looked confused.

"Believe me. I am just as confused as you are." Jen shook her head.

"Who was the cheeseburger for?" Mallory asked.

"It was for Skippy. We had study plans and I was picking us up lunch. Skippy is not on any drugs. Well not any that I am aware of."

Jennifer went to hand Mallory the box she was using but she shook her head.

"No thanks Jen. I am on this special diet – I'm trying to steer away from cereal with marshmallows in it or cheeseburgers."

"I don't think cheeseburgers would go well with milk Mallory." Alex poured himself a glass of orange juice and jumped up and leveled himself up on the island in the kitchen. He took a sip of it.

"So why are you are on a diet? You trying to impress someone or something? Cause if you want my honest opinion you don't need to be on any." Jen told her.

"Thanks Jen."

"She's right." Alex agreed.

"It's always good to be healthy and it's never too early to start. I mean look at Dad. Who would have thought he would have had … you know the heart attack at his age? I worry about things like that."

"I do too." Jen said.

"I mean I wish I could eat what I want and not have to worry about gaining weight or having cholesterol or diabetes? The world doesn't work like that and you don't have to be over weight."

Mallory grabbed a packet of plain oatmeal from the cabinet and poured it in her bowl, and started boiling hot water on the stove. Then she added 2 tablespoons of sugar.

"Well that defeats the purpose, Mal."

"I heard that you saw John at Barnes and Noble the other day." Mallory ignored his statement.

"Yeah. He asked about you."

"Well can you do me a big favor and just tell him to stop trying to call me. I don't want to talk to him anymore."

"How come? I thought things were going well with the two of you."

"Well last week we were hanging out at my friends watching a movie and uh I felt something poking me in the back and I said: "Uh John I think your pencil is poking me in the back. And he said that is not my _pencil_."

Alex looked at her and couldn't make out what she was getting at.

"So … it was his pen." He shrugged.

"Alex …" Mallory opened her eyes a bit wide eyed trying to indicate something that he should understand in male terminology. He thought a moment and then leapt off the island.

"Oh Mallory! I don't want to hear about that!"

"And then he tried to make me _touch_ it."

He covered Jen's ears. "And Jen doesn't want to hear about it either. These innocent virgin ears."

"Alex." Jen pushed his hands away. "I think I am old enough to know about Pens and pencils. So spill."

"I uh." He thought a moment. "Let Mom and Dad handle that department."

"Alex, I was seriously humiliated. I had to get up and leave my friends house in the middle of the movie." Mallory told him. "What should I _do_?"

"Alright, Alright. I am your brother and I should know how to handle situations like this. No one disrespects my sister like that."

"What are you going to do? Are you going to yell at him?" Jen asked.

Alex picked up the phone and dialed John's number. "Watch and learn. "Hey John? This is Alex. I uh … Here is a message from Mallory to you. Please stop calling her. She doesn't want to talk to you anymore. And another thing keep your Pens and pencils to your self before I find a broomstick and shove it in a place that you don't like having things shoved in, Thank you."

Click!

"Thanks Alex." Mallory said.

"No problem."

"And Mallory," Jen realized something. "If it felt like a pencil, then it probably wasn't worth to write with."

Alex just took a sip of his orange juice and spit it out all over himself.

"Great. Wonderful."

Steven walked in and surveyed the room.

"What's new other than Alex spilling orange juice all over himself again?"

"Alex just taught me the important fact of Pens and Pencils."

Alex shrugged and cleaned himself off.

"And what is that?" Steven asked.

"The shortest pencil is greater than the longest memory." Alex explained. "But the pen is mightier than the sword."


	4. Compassion

Compassion

* * *

"It's horrible. I had to see her all banged up like that. No child should ever have to go through anything like this. I could never imagine hurting you guys or letting someone else hurt you guys." Elise walked around through the super market with Jen and Mallory.

"God I can't imagine what she went through." Mallory couldn't believe it.

"She's a strong girl. Very strong. But she needs guidance. She needs a family to care about her. Someone to tuck her in at night, someone she can speak to, get advice, watch her go to her first dance. She looked up at me through tired black eyes and said: _"Mrs. Keaton. I am sorry. I made him mad. I always make him so mad."_ Elise wiped the tears from her eyes. "Steven lifted her up in his arms, and we got her out of there."

She started crying. Mallory hugged her realizing just how bad Joanna's situation was and just how compassionate her mom had always been and she wanted to be just like her.

"Everything is going to be ok mom. We'll look after her." Jen reassured. "I promise."

A day later Mallory was sitting at the kitchen table looking like she had the worst day of her life.

"What is the matter Mallory? You look kind of upset." Jennifer told her as she came in from the living room and sat down.

"I am upset. Guys make plans with me and it seems like a crises always happens just before they walk out the door. I think I've heard every excuse in the book. These are the few of the different excuses I have gotten in the past week:  
_"My grandfather fell down the stairs and broke his ribs and I have to take him to the hospital."  
"My brother has no one to watch the kids and I have no choice to watch them now."  
"My moms ride from the airport didn't fall through so I have to pick her up. Can we hang out later?"  
"Plane is delayed. I'm sitting at the airport right now. I'm sorry this keeps on happening."  
"I got called in my other job won't be out till 10pm and my bro just got into a car accident, broke his ribs and has a concussion."_ Mallory sighed."Alright. Alright. I get the point now. You can't make it. Fine. But if you really don't want to hang out with me, than stop making the plans. I think I have better things to do than to sit and wait for someone that is not going to hang out with me, ever."

"What are you doing later today?" Jennifer asked her.

"I don't know … I am waiting for this new guy Nick to call me to see if he wants to get dinner and a movie."

Alex who had walked in and over heard the conversation: "Well, that all depends on whether the guy has a plane crash through his house before he walks out the door to meet you, because that is probably the next excuse you're going to get when he can't make it."

He grabbed the orange juice and went to take a sip out of the carton.

Steven walked into the home, followed by Skippy and Elise with a few suitcases.

"Joanna make yourself at home." Steven told her.

"Thank you." She smiled.

"Guys this is Joanna." Steve told them.

Alex turned just as he is taking another sip gets a glance at Joanna and he spit the juice all over himself and then dropped the carton on the floor.

"Nice going klutz." Mallory told him.

"Alex. How many times have I told you not to drink out of the carton?" Elise looked slightly annoyed.

"I'm sorry mom." Alex looked embarrassed. He grabbed paper towels and put them on the floor.

"Would you like me to help clean it Mrs. Keaton?" Joanna asked.

"Oh no dear that is not necessary. My son can handle his own messes." Elise replied with a side way glance. "And you can call me Elise."

"It's nice to meet you Joanna. I'm Jennifer. This is Mallory and the klutz is our brother Alex P. Keaton."

"What does the P stand for?" Joanna asked.

"It stands for Putz." Jennifer told her.

"Thanks Jen." Alex told her.

"Come I'll show you to your room." Steven walked her in the living room. They were followed by Elise, Steven, Jen and Mallory.

Skippy was just standing there staring at Alex as he cleaned up the mess in the kitchen.

"It really stands for _Putz_?" He questioned.

"Skip, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure what?"

"Shut up and help me clean this mess."


	5. Trusting the Sun and the Moon

Trusting the Sun and the Moon

* * *

"So why do you always spit orange juice all over yourself?"

"I don't know Mal, maybe I love it so much I want to wear it." Alex told her.

"The floor is still a bit sticky here." Mallory stepped by it and grimaced. "I guess Skippy isn't that great at cleaning up other people's messes."

"He isn't that great at cleaning his own messes."

After staying there for about three months Joanna became accustomed to the way things ran in the Keaton family residence, one thing she learned right away was that Alex ran the show. She sometimes felt that Alex didn't like her very much. He was always so sarcastic and found any reason to pick on her.

"Joanna you just got to get to know Alex. This is his way of being playful. This is how he treats all of us. I mean right now he feels like he got the little sister that he never wanted, so he is going to pick on you, play pranks and rip off the head of your favorite teddy bear." Jennifer told her.

"How disturbing."

Alex came into the kitchen now:

"Hey guys, how has your day been?"

"I uh ... I just remembered I need to lock all my stuffed animals away. I don't want any of them to be beheaded."

Joanna ran out of the living room.

"What's her problem?" Alex asked.

Jennifer shrugged. "Insecurity issues."

Alex sat down next to Jennifer.

"That's the thing. I don't think Joanna likes me very much."

"Why do you say that?"

"I dunno … I mean I try to talk to her sometimes, and I think I might come off as being arrogant or conceited without really even trying. Do you think that?"

"You want my honest opinion. We all think that. But it's fine. I mean that is just you Alex. We're used to it. We still love you." She patted his shoulder.

"I don't mean it. I know I'm better than all of you but I still care about you very much and I want you to succeed and do just as good as me as long as you don't try to take my spotlight." Alex laughed. "I'm only kidding and I know you know that. I just want Joanna to know that as well. I only kid. I mean me gluing her to the toilet seat last week wasn't personal; it was just an act of love."

"That was a bit much."

"I did it to you guys too."

"And we thought it was a bit much."

"I guess I need to lay off the pranks, huh?" Alex considered. "Well until 2 weeks at least."

"What's going on for 2 weeks?" Mallory came into the living room now and sat next to Jennifer.

"Nothing actually. I'm grounded for the prank."

"Oh I see."

"I just want to talk to her you know without the sarcasm that tends to fly out my mouth at the wrong times. I want her to open up to me like you guys do."

"Well, Alex you know what mom said – it's going to take time for Joanna to open up to any of us and she doesn't want us to pry into what happened especially when none of us really can relate to what she went through." Mallory explained to him.

"I know." Alex said.

At 3 in the morning Joanna noticed the small details of her room which her mind failed to register in the daylight and for a second she forgot that it was completely silent. She stared into the darkness and pretended to see stars and remembered what they looked liked from a million summers ago when her mother and she sat on the porch swing up in the country. One night she taught her that if you focused hard enough, the stars would dance for you.

Joanna wanted to believe that they were eager—just like everyone and wanted to break out of their monotonous routines. They knew just how hard it was to stand still when there's a whole universe filled with life pulsating like a heartbeat in every direction. Perhaps this is the heartbeat of the long lost God. Maybe it's just an illuminated swell of planets. All she knew was that it was beautiful. She could feel the heat from my chest surge towards her eyes in a watery parade. She sucked in her breath; and for a split second, she felt wonderful.

But then here came the chemical imbalance—her mom could feel it swarming in like an  
impending storm. It was almost like watching a sack of bricks come flying at her head, and not being able to move out of the way. She changed her mind and said that they were never dancing for either of them. Their routine was an illusion, a simple mind trick. It was one big lie the moon told her years ago and the sun laughed over how naïve she was for believing him.

She told me to never believe anything the moon told me ever. On some nights it was half, while others it was full—who knew what face it had on when you talked to him at night?

"And Joanna why on earth would you want to confide in someone that you couldn't trust?"

Joanna Davis never knew what it was like to live with a loving family until The Keatons came into her life and welcomed her into their home. They were the only ones she felt she could ever trust. She loved everything about the Keatons and sometimes she felt that she wasn't deserving of their kindness or their generosity—but she knew Elise and Steven would have told her that was just her father talking and her insecurity that created the delusion that she didn't deserve to know or have great people in her life.


	6. This is War

This is War

* * *

"This is war. I am proclaiming war . . . in this house right here and right now." Alex stood there in the kitchen standing his ground.

"Against who?" Mallory asked.

"Joanna."

"What did she do?"

"She always finishes everything before I do. Last week it was the pop tarts, the other day it was the cookie crisp … and today …" He walked over to the refrigerator and opened it up and looked around. "Today." He paused and then turned around and flung open the garbage and looked inside. "And today it's the orange juice!" He slammed the lid back down. "I don't believe it. All I want is a nice cold glass of frigging orange juice. Is that so hard to ask?"

"Alex, Joanna isn't the only person that lives here. And mom buys it for all of us. So what does it matter who finished it last?" Jennifer shrugged. "What if Mallory finished it?

Or me?"

"You didn't though."

"Maybe she was really thirsty." Jen shrugged.

"Thanks Jen, but there a lot of thirsty people here."

"Alex, don't proclaim war unless you are certain who is responsible." Mallory said. "And getting this bent over orange juice is really silly."

"You can't pronounce war without notifying congress first Alex." Jen reminded him.

"I don't care. This is long over do. I'm going to lay it to her."

"Don't get yourself impeached."

Joanna walked into the kitchen. Alex walked up to her.

"Hey Joanna. You finished the orange juice!"

"I did?" She looked confused.

"Yeah just like you finished the cookie crisp and the pop tarts and everything else in this house!" He started to stutter. "I'm so irate I can't even speak!" He ran his hands through his hair.

"Well I'm sorry if you are irate Alex, but I can ensure you that I didn't finish the orange juice. I only had a little this morning before I went to school and left the rest for you when you got up, so obviously you are the one who finished it and trying to blame it on everyone else."

"Don't try to change the subject Joanna. This confrontation between me and you was bound to come about sooner or later. I have to pronounce war and I am sure I am not the only one who feels this way. Right guys?"

No one said anything.

"Come on guys … a show of hands."

"Sorry Alex." Jennifer said. "I guess it's just you facing this war by yourself."

"Mallory?"

"I told you this is silly."

"This isn't just about the orange juice Joanna. It is about the principal."

"The principal of what? That Alex P. Keaton is the only one who is allowed to have the last word, the last laugh, the last cookie, and the last drop of orange juice in this household?"

"You better believe it." He jumped up on the island and sat there.

"Ok I admit I had the last pop tart last week, but I shared half of it with Jen for breakfast and yes maybe I did finish the cookie crisp … but you know what? Big deal. I am not the only one who lives here and don't forget that you purposely glued me to the toilet seat last week."

"I glued you to the seat so you don't have your reign over the house and eat and drink everything in sight. And let me set some rules for you." He pointed a finger at her. "I am the only one who is allowed to have the last word, the last laugh and the last of everything in this house hold, you want to know why … because I am the oldest …And I am Alex P Keaton. One day I am going to be president and I am going to own all of you."

"Keep dreaming." Mallory told him.

"Alex you are so conceited." Jennifer told him. "What makes you think that I won't run for president? I think it's time for a female president anyways and everyone knows that I am smarter than you."

Joanna feeling slightly triumphant, and sat down at the kitchen table with smile on her face.

"Jennifer I taught you all that you know. Don't forget that. And Joanna, this _isn't_ over. I'm gonna get to the bottom of this."

Elise walked into the house holding a bag of groceries.

"Hi guys … I'm back. I did some shopping. I bought two cartons of orange juice. Your father and I finished it this morning with breakfast."

Alex scratched his forehead.

"Uh …. Did you say that you and dad finished it?"

"Yeah."

Alex jumped down from the counter that he was sitting on, cracked his back and announced:

"Well it was nice chatting with all of you, but I really should be getting back to my studying. I have a big math final coming up."

The girls got up from the table and started gaining up on him.

"What's the hurry Alex?" Mallory smiled evilly at him. She grabbed the carton, opened it gestured that she was going to pour it on his head. "Don't you want some orange juice? You were telling us just how thirsty you were."

"I uh. Maybe later.

"Well later, I might drink it all on you." Joanna said. "And you wouldn't want that to happen."

"Yeah Mr. President." Jennifer told him.

"Drink all you want. I am a generous person."

Before Mallory could get a splash of it on him, he darted out of the kitchen.

"I'd say if you want orange juice that bad, you can have it, but I don't know how good it's gonna be warm. You should let it chill for 20 minutes or so." Elise suggested.

"Nah we don't really want it." Jen said. "Alex yelled at Joanna because he thought she finished the orange juice."

"He's ridiculous." Elise said.

"I told him not to proclaim war without congresses approval. He didn't take my warning." Jen shrugged.


	7. Fist Impressions

Fist Impressions

* * *

Mallory, Jen and Alex were washing and drying dishes in the kitchen. Mallory kept dropping them.

"Oh No! I don't know what is wrong with me today. This is the second plate I dropped. I'm such a klutz. I don't know why I feel so nervous."

"Would the fact that its parent – teacher night at school have anything to do with it?" Alex asked.

"Oh that's tonight?" Mallory forgot about it.

"Yes. Yes it is Mallory." He put his arm around Mallory's shoulder. "This is your night of nights—the chance for your parents and teachers to get together, review your grades and have a good laugh."

"You're so smug, Alex. You just love parent's night don't you?" Mallory asked.

"Oh you bet! I put it right there with Christmas Eve." Alex walked away and fixed his tie.

Joanna walked into the kitchen now.

"You guys need any help in here?" She asked

"Well if you are nervous about parent – teacher night," Jen started to say. "Don't bother drying any of the dishes, Mallory already broke _four_."

Alex leapt up on the island and poked Joanna in the side.

"Don't forget Jo … you are a member of this family now, so don't think that mom and dad are going to forget to stop at any of your _classes _and you'll get off the hook that easy."

"Well, considering that they bumped me up to Mr. Tedesco's writing class, I don't think I should be worried all too much."

"They bumped you to Mr. Tedesco?" Alex looked confused. "When?"

"Well, just the other day. My guidance teacher said that my writing skills are so advanced, they thought it would be more of a challenge for me to take this class." She shrugged. "Although I heard he was quite the hard ass."

Mallory smiled.

"Well Alex, I guess you are not the only smart one in this house. Congratulations Joanna." Mallory told her. "But you are right. He is a bit of a hard ass."

"Thank you."

Alex watched as his mom and fathered entered the kitchen. He got off the island and faced them. Mallory asked them to avoid seeing her algebra teacher; Alex said that they could see anyone that they want, but most certainly to make an impression on Mr. Tedesco.

Alex anxiously awaited a crucial college recommendation from his English teacher and urged his parents to butter him up.

Moments later Elise walked in looking like she had a brawl out; she sat down at the kitchen table with Steven.

"Hey did you make an impression on Mr. Tedesco?" Alex came into the kitchen and grabbed a banana.

"Very definitely."

"Great. Tell me every detail." He took a bite out of his banana.

"I don't know how I should put this." Elise said gripping her hands. "I punched Mr. Tedesco in the mouth."

Alex almost choked on the banana.

"What you say?"

"I punched him."

"Um. When you say punched do you mean an affectionate little tap?" Alex asked. "Like uh … way to go Mr. Tedesco?" He demonstrated on his moms chin lightly.

"I decked him." Elise said.

"WOW." Mallory and Jen both said together.

"Any particular reason?" Alex choked up.

"He shoved an elderly lady!"

"That's it? How old?"

"Alex your Mr. Tedesco is a rude crass, vile human being!"

"I could have told you that! What did you have to hit him for?"

Alex looked like he was going to pass out.

"Alex he was being so rude and insulting that hitting him was the only reflective response."

Elise grabbed Alex by his shirt. "I was seized by an uncontrollable impulse. Can't you understand?"

Alex thought a moment but then said:

"No!"

Joanna comes in the kitchen.

"What did I miss?"

"Mom punched Mr. Tedesco in the face." Mallory told her.

"Way to go Mrs. Keaton!" Joanna saluted her.

"Shut up Jo! This is a travesty!"

Steven pulled Elise away from Alex.

"It was just one of those things." Steven said.

A horrified Alex entreated his father to make amends. Steven visited him and after being subjected to disparaging remarks about his wife, winds up repeating her deed. Elise was cooking in the kitchen while the kids laughed over the situation. Alex kept picking on her.

"Alex stop, before you make me really mad."

"Oh no she's mad! She might punch me!"

Mallory, Jen and Joanna laughed.

Steven walked into the house and closed the door behind him.

"How did it go?" Elise asked.

"I punched him in the face." Steven told her.

After hearing about this Alex almost choked again on a banana.

"I can't believe this! I can't let the two of you out of the house!" Alex said.

"Alex, that man would have made a killer out of Ghandi." Steven told him.

Finally Tedesco, who does recognize Alex's intellect, accepted an invitation to the Keaton home where he alienates everyone again and Alex must decide whether a glowing recommendation from an influential but disgusting man is worth groveling for.

Just after Elise went to go back to the kitchen to defrost steaks for dinner when Tedesco said that he already had chicken for lunch and refused to eat it again, he had given Alex the recommendation that he wanted.

"What's for dinner now?" Tedesco asked.

"Steaks … we are defrosting them." Elise told him.

"Yummy." The teacher stood up.

"No … No steaks tonight." Alex finally said. "We're having chicken."

"No Alex. Remember Mr. Tedesco had that for lunch?" Elise reminded him.

"I don't care what Mr. Tedesco had for lunch. And this is what I think of his recommendation." Alex ripped it up.

"Alex! What are you doing?" Elise asked.

"I'm keeping my self respect." He told her.

"I overrated you Alex. I thought you were better than your parents. I was wrong."

Alex moved closer to him as if he was about to slug him.

"Look, I don't feel … like I am better than my parents. As a matter of fact if I grow up to be just like they are, I'd be very proud."

"How conventionally sweet."

Alex turned around and opened the door for Mr. Tedesco to leave.

Joanna comes in the house moments later, "Hey, Alex …were you holding the door for me? I'm sorry I'm late."

She walked in.

Mr. Tedesco noticed Joanna and said "who are you and why are you here?"

"Her name is Joanna Davis and she is staying here." Steven told him.

"How fortunate."

"Joanna is a very good writer. Mr. Tedesco. She was just bumped to your class not too long ago." Elise told him.

"A very good writer you say? Well that would be for me to decide." Tedesco looked back at Joanna as he walked towards the door to exit. He turned back and pointed a finger at her as he stood in the doorway. "Oh I know you Miss Davis, the principal told me all about you. Well considering I knew your father back in the day, you deserved to be slapped around a bit. You were always so ungrateful I heard. I'd slap you myself but I am not a violent person unlike, "The Keatons," here."

"Now wait a minute." Elise started to say.

Steven hushed Elise when he saw that she was getting tense.

Alex ran his fingers through his hair, getting tenser by the moment.

"You're a great writer?" Tedesco chuckled to himself. "Maybe you could write about how your father beats you."

Alex then slugged Mr. Tedesco in the face and he falls outside and rolls over a few bushes. and "Don't talk to the woman I love like that!" He slammed the door. "Uh I mean … family." Alex corrected himself and walked back into the house.

"ALEX!" Mallory looked shocked. "I can't believe you slugged Mr. Tedesco!"

"Yeah!" Jen was so excited. "That makes 3!"

"Yeah well he had it coming." Alex said.

Alex looked back at Joanna who did not know what she had just walked into and was still standing against the wall holding her purse.

"Are you alright?" He asked her.

"Yeah." Joanna came into the living room. "I'm just a little shocked over what just transpired. I can't wait to start his class Monday. That should be interesting."

"Well I'm sure he won't say anything about you again, that's for sure." Alex sort of chuckled to himself. "Or any of you guys for that matter." Alex turned to his parents. "Listen, now I know it wasn't easy for you to invite him over for dinner tonight … and I know you did it for me … so thank you." Alex said.

There was a knock on the door that moment. Steven opened it. Mr. Tedesco said. "If the steak isn't fully defrosted yet … maybe I borrow it to put it over my black eye?"


	8. Pranked

Pranked

* * *

Joanna visited her mother at the hospital every other weekend and then vented to Mallory and Jennifer just how weird the whole experience was for her and how hard it was for her mother.

"The problem is—no one believes me when I say I'm okay and no one believes me when I say that I'm not. It's the "Boy Who Cried Wolf Syndrome,"—and I hate that. When everyone around you gets so used to saying things like "I'm so miserable, I just might die," yet they don't even understand what that means; then when you say it— its sincere, but NO ONE understands because they've become so used to hearing it. Unfortunately if something bad was to happen due to this problem don't be surprised when those same people then ask you something like, "why couldn't you come to us in the beginning?" sort of thing. You see I don't think they realize how they were a direct cause for the distance and communication issue—in fact I don't think they know anything at all. That's sort of what happened to my mom I think—and the fact that when I asked what was wrong I was told that "nothing was wrong," and when she wanted people to know that something was wrong, she got the, "we don't have time for this—"there is nothing wrong with you. Stop upsetting yourself. I can see how that can get annoying. I don't think anyone wanted to know what was going on or wanted to accept that she was loosing her mind, not even me."

"I can't even imagine what that is like." Jennifer said to Joanna.

"Is it scary visiting your mom?" Alex asked her. "I mean is the hospital like Silence of the Lambish?"

"It's not that type of hospital Alex. Anyways people tend to ask me if it's scary for me to visit my mother and then they try to tell me that it is perfectly normal to be afraid of turning out like her. I have to remind them I know I'm 10 times more likely to get it than most people—which usually shuts them up quickly."

"Good one, Joanna." Jen told her.

Alex walked towards the refrigerator. Mallory elbowed Jennifer to pay attention. The girls become completely silent and watched him. Alex was just about to open the door when he looked over at them watching them watch him.

"What is this? Why are you girls so quiet all of a sudden? What …. ? You are testing to see how mad I get over who finished what this time?"

"It's nothing Alex …" Jennifer said. "Just get what you want."

"_Girls_." He muttered under his breath and went to open the fridge. _"You can't live with them and you can't live with them."_

A pie exploded and Alex was covered in crème.

The girls high fived each other.

"Hey Alex, how does it feel to be pranked this time?" Jennifer asked.

He tasted it.

"Nice. I like vanilla." He wiped his face. "You know what this means?" Alex said.

"You've been out smarted." Mallory said.

"No. It means you just opened up a can of worms and you are all asking for it. Wait till I tell mom that you wasted a perfectly good pie."

"Come on Alex. You gotta be kidding." Mallory said. "I bought the pie and that was meager compared to the torture that you put me and Jennifer through as long as we lived here."

"Oh that is very true. But I also did the time. Took the grounding. You want to be treated like equals, then you gotta take the heat. And this isn't over. For every prank you pull, I am going to pull and an even better one. You see no one can out smart Alex P. Keaton. They might get in their cheap shot and I'll let them bask in their victory for the time being, but in the end Alex remains victorious. I will never back down from any prank."

"Neither will we." Mallory said. "Consider the prank wars on."

"Deal."


	9. Down Jones

Down Jones

* * *

Alex pointed to Joanna's red bow headband she had in her soft black hair as he came strolling into the kitchen area early in the morning:

"What's that?"

"What's _what_?" Joanna looked up from her bowl of cereal as she was eating it.

"That thing in your hair."

"It's called a bow."

"Ok snow white." He said looking over his shoulder as he reached into the fridge for some orange juice.

"Well if I'm Snow White then that must make you Grumpy."

Mallory was looking through a magazine and smirked.

"Well he's certainly short enough."

"Hey, Dopey." Alex said to Mallory. "That's amazing. You and Snow White over here should take your show on the road." He put his glass in the sink.

Jen said:

"Well if I'm going to be any of the seven dwarfs, I'd be Doc. He's the more level headed one."

"I'd rather be Happy." Mallory said.

"I know what's going to make me happy in a moment …" Alex picked up the morning paper. "Let's see what's happening in the wonderful world of Dow Jones." He straightened the paper out sat in his favorite mobile chair and goes to ride it across the floor towards the kitchen table like he's done many times before, except this time it fell apart on him and he landed flat on his behind.

"More like _Down_ Jones." Jen replied.

Mallory got up and walked over towards him.

"Here's the screw." She was trying not to cackle too much in her hand. He rolled up the paper to hit her with it. "It was Joanna's idea." He turned around and hit her too with the paper.

"You fight dirty, Jo. Such a low blow – you have to prank me when I am reading the morning paper. A hobby I have enjoyed and loved for years—the enjoyment and fulfillment this poor young boy has only ever wanted in life. You deny me my only heart's desire? How does that make you _feel_?"

"Very content." She said. The girls all high fived each other.

"Prank number 2!" They belted out.

"Bask in your glory all you want girls. I'll give you your moment in the sun, but you're all in store for biggest Keaton prank in the history of pranks."

"And what is that going to be?" Jen asked.

"I dunno. I have to go over the blueprints. But when I have it all figured out—you're going to wish you never crossed the line with this Keaton."

"Good luck with that Alex." Mallory told him. "Why don't you admit you've been out pranked again and you have nothing to come back with?"

"Oh I'll have something to come back with … for each and every one of you. Just you wait! I'm going to be on the prowl."

One day after school Joanna came into the kitchen and looked around curiously. She saw that Alex was sitting on the island reading something. "Hey Jo. What's up?" He acted like everything was normal.

She walked around the table, shrugged and put down her book bag on the floor. "Looking for _something_?"

"Yeah … there's no chairs."

"Oh? You need a chair? I'll be happy to get you one." He jumped down and pulled one from behind the island and placed it by the table for her. "Go have a seat." He leaned back against the island folding his arms across his chest and crossing his ankles with composure.

"You're kidding right?" She asked.

"Why would I kid?"

"That's the oldest trick in the book."

"What? You don't _trust_ me?"

"Dude I pulled this trick on you last week."

"I'm not pulling a trick. Sit down. Relax. I insist."

"No thank you."

"Ok or stand. Whatever you feel like doing. I was just being nice and giving you something to sit on. You have some insecurity issues. You are going to learn to trust me Jo."

"Fine." She took a deep breath and slowly eased her way down into the chair.

Alex turned away from her and was fixing something on the island. "Um … nothing happened."

Alex standing with his back from her still replied. "What do you take me for? Of course nothing was going to happen, Jo." He turned around and then smushed a plate of whip crème into her face. "With the chair I _mean_."

Mallory and Jen came in and saw Joanna wiping whipped crème from her face and hair.

"He got you with the old chair crème joke too?" Jen asked.

"Yeah."

"Prank # 3! I beat you guys."

"I consider it still prank 1." Mallory said. "It's unfair to split it between the 3 of us."

"Hey … I won fair and square. This was simple but deadly and it worked 3x. If you want to continue on with the pranks, be my guest but … I am still going to find a way to beat you."

Alex was kneeling down by the mobile chair and put in the screw. Jen was eating a lollipop.

"Is it fixed Alex?" Jen asked.

"One way to find out."

Alex moved the chair towards the wall, sat in and it rolled it across floor without falling this time.

"Yep … The king is back."


	10. Love and War

Love and War

* * *

"I got a letter." Joanna seemed excited and came rushing through the door.

"From who?" Jennifer asked.

"My older brother Jake." Joanna sat down at the kitchen table to show Mallory and Jennifer. "I haven't seen him since I was 10."

"You have a brother?" Mallory asked.

Elise turned around as she was making coffee.

"Oh how is Jake by the way? Your mother told me he was doing pretty well for himself the last she spoke to him."

"He's in the army now that was really the best place for him. He was always so self reliant. He wants me to be more like him."

"Open the letter – I want to see what he said." Mallory looked excited. "And if he's got any pictures."

"Mallory." Elise said her name. "Don't be so intrusive."

"It's alright." Joanna said opening the letter. She handed a few pictures to Mallory and Jennifer.

"Oh wow. He's really cute."

"Definitely a babe." Jennifer looked mesmerized. "There is nothing like a guy in uniform."

Alex walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge to get the orange juice.

"You girls never have anything on your mind except for shopping, boys and more shopping."

"That's not true Alex. I have heavy and complex thoughts about a lot of things."

"Name a thought right now, right this second." He pointed at her.

"Well I can't think of any right now." Mallory said. "But who cares what I am thinking about—Joanna's brother wrote a letter."

"Yeah he's a solider too." Jennifer told him.

"Joanna has a brother?" Alex walked over and sat at the table.

"Ok I'm going to read it to you." She took a deep breath and started.

_"Dear Joanna,_

_I heard about what happened with Dad and I am very sorry. I wish I were there to put him in his place and to comfort you. Mom told me that The Keatons are watching over you now. They sound like really great people. Tell them I said hi. I have 3 1/2 years left on my deployment and then I'd be finished. Once I get out of the army and I have enough money saved, I am going to buy us a house and I am going to take care of us. You deserve the best Joanna, remember that. Love you._

_Your brother Jake."_

Joanna looked down as she held the letter in her hand she smiled, but her eyes welled up a bit with water. Elise handed her a tissue.

"I'm happy that you are keeping in touch. I am going to check up on Andy." Elise walked out of the kitchen.

"That's quite the touching letter." Alex said. "_Really_. Maybe you should consider joining in with your brother. I mean there are a lot of great things and great opportunities for people in your situation."

"Alex. The army isn't for everyone." Mallory told him.

"Yeah … look at Skippy. He went Awol." Jennifer told him.

"Seriously though, Alex. Could you imagine Joanna in the army? She is so frail and delicate."

"Delicate or fragile is not a word I would describe Joanna. And it's still worth a shot. You can do anything if you put your heart to it. I mean a person can't expect to leech of strangers for the rest of their life. They need a back up plan. "

"Thanks for the words of encouragement Alex." Joanna didn't look to happy. She stormed out of the kitchen.

"Did I say something wrong?" He looked confused.

"Alex … I don't think leech was the right word to use in her current situation. It's not like she asked to be here." Jennifer told him.

"Joanna is in a fragile state right now." Mallory explained. "I thought we went through with this already and you said that you wanted to try to get along with her better or make it easier for her to open up to you."

"Believe me I'm trying, ok." Alex put a hand over his forehead. "I didn't mean anything by it. I wasn't inferring that she is a leech at all. I am just trying to look out for her. If she can't see that, then that's her problem. She has some insecurity issues that she needs to work out with herself. No one and no family is going to help her with that. I just don't want her to take advantage of anyone in this household."

"She's not." Jennifer told him. Alex jerked himself up from the table and walked out of the room.

"Joanna can I talk to you for a minute?"

Alex knocked on her door.

"I have nothing to say to you."

"Just for a minute. Please."

"Fine." Alex walked in. He looked at her as she took a few shirts and laid them out on her bed. He watched as she kept doing it with more clothes.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm laying my clothes out."

"For what?"

"Well, the other day I read my horoscope and it explained a lot about my personality actually."

"Explained what exactly?"

"I'm unpredictable. It basically said that I could easily decide to study ballet, mediate in the mountains, or join the Peace Corps. Maybe that whole Army thing wasn't so far from the truth."

"So you are joining the peace corps?"

"I thought maybe tonight. The last thing I need on my conscious is how I leech off people."

"Ok …I uh …" He started of. "I really didn't mean to upset you with what I said down in the kitchen. I was just trying to be helpful or give my two sense in. I wasn't inferring anything or even telling you have to join the army. It is not for everyone."

"I see." Joanna shrugged. "I'm sure in 2 years or less my brother will be here to take me in and we can take care of each other and maybe down the road mom will be better and she will live with us and we'll be a family again and be happy."

"Joanna, I want you to be happy here too."

"I am happy Alex." She told him.

"I just want you to know that I am here for you. If you ever need any advice or anything I'm here."

"Thank you."

"No problem. If you need anything, I'm right across the hall."


	11. Change of the Season

Change of the Season

* * *

At the Keaton house the family was getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving. Mallory told Joanna about the time her parents got arrested on Thanksgiving Day and Alex and the grandparents had to bail them out of jail. At that moment Joanna started to think about her mother. And the way the kitchen smelled of so many different scents, filling each and every room. And she remembered how she put out the sweet potatoes, with the melted marshmallows that would stick to your fork and the carrots drenched in maple syrup and brown sugar. And she'd remember the turkey, how it made you so tired after you'd eat it and the cranberry sauce, the stuffing, the string bean casserole, the homemade mashed potatoes, the apple pies, the pumpkin pies, the homemade breads. She would get so full just thinking about it.

Sometimes during some of holidays it was just Joanna and her mother and Jake, but they shared some of the best times just the three of them. They were all her mother needed or so that was what she thought.

They stood out on the porch and Jen could tell Joanna seemed a bit nervous.

"Who else is going to be here?" Joanna turned to her.

"Not too many. We really don't have a huge family or anything. Just my aunt, my uncle my cousins, the grandparents—you shouldn't be interrogated too much. And don't worry I didn't tell them anything bad." Jen said. "Like what your father did or anything. I just told them that you were staying with us because of family circumstances that were out of your control."

"Thanks."

Mallory opened the front door and they walked in. Her aunt was sitting on the couch drinking a cup of hot coco with marshmallows. Alex was sitting at the dinning room table arguing with their uncle about some political agenda. Elise was in the kitchen checking on the food.

Her cousins were in the next room playing video games. Her grandmother was helping her mother in the kitchen. Her grandfather was out on the back porch with her father. smoking cigars and reminiscing about old times.

Joanna felt her stomach rumbling inside of her. She hoped that it wasn't making too much noise. She didn't want to come off as desperate.

At the dinner table a discussion about Black Friday was brought up between Alex, his uncle and Steven.

"So what are you going to do for tomorrow?" His uncle asked. "Shop for all those sales?"

"Black Friday just proves how materialistic our country is. What do people even need so badly that they are willing to fight through crowds of people and wait on unnecessarily long lines when they could have gotten it days ago without a hassle? Every holiday is unbearably commercialized." Alex commented. "There's nothing I need so badly to wait on a line at 4 in the morning in 30 degree weather."

"You waited on a long line to get your Richard Nixon autograph." Jen pointed out.

"Jennifer that was Nixon." Alex reminded her. "He was our president. Let me rephrase this. There is nothing I need to wait on a line to purchase for _you _guys at 4:00 in the morning."

"Thanks Alex that makes me feel loved." Jen said back.

"I think most people participate because it's a sale and they can get tons of shit they don't really need for cheap." His cousin added.

"I can find the same shit cheaper elsewhere." Alex told her.

Joanna sat across from Alex, Elise, Steven and a bunch of other family members she was slowly getting introduced to.

"Where did you meet Joanna?" Their grandmother asked.

"She's living here with us." Elise told them. "She's had family circumstances that were out of your control. This is a better environment for her."

Alex and his uncle were still arguing.

"You think that's tough." Their uncle stated. "When I was a kid – I had to walk to school 40 miles to school there and back in the snow."

"What let me guess bare foot too?" Alex P. Keaton added.

"Don't be a wise ass." He told his nephew. "You never had it so good growing up."

"Neither did you dad." Mallory's cousin added.

"Don't get me started." Steven then reprimanded his nephew. "I could list a thousand things you have today that I never even heard of."

"Ok." Elise shook her head in disbelief. "Steven, you'd bellyache if your school was in your backyard."

"Thanks mom." Alex appreciated her jumping to his defense.

"Hey Elise. I'm not saying I didn't complain about walking those 40 miles, am I? I'm saying that things were different back then. The way of life, discipline. Respect. Kids don't have none of that nowadays. I can tell you that MOST of kids nowadays have severe discipline problems." Steven said.

"Do I?" Jen asked.

"No Jen you are very well behaved."

"But the rest of us aren't?" Mallory noted.

"Let's change the subject and eat." Steven suggested.

Elise brought in the food to the dinning room table; everyone followed. They sat down. Elise gave her Thanks.

"I want to give my thanks to my loving family, my wonderful husband Steven for supporting us and for Joanna for being welcomed into our life. We love that you are here with us."

"Thank you." They all toasted.

"Alex, would you like to say something?" Elise turned to him. "Perhaps Grace?"

"What? Oh sure. Rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub. Yay God."

"Well that's good enough." Elise said. "Let's eat."

Suddenly Alex fell through his chair.

Everyone started laughing hysterically. Alex stood up and pointed his fork at everyone.

"Not a peep from any of you. Especially you, Miss Joanna. Something tells me that you were behind this."

"The prank wars are over, Alex." Mallory reminded him.

"They are until one of you feel the need to test it."

"What prank wars?" Elise asked.

"Never mind." Mallory told her. "Let's eat."

Alex stood there and watched Joanna's face closely as she stared into her plate trying not to laugh. He got up with a handful of mashed potatoes walked around the table and stood next to her. "Go ahead. Do it." He permitted her. She started to cackle in her hand. He smushed her in the face with the food and then walked back to his chair. "Ok now that is settled, let's eat." He moved the chair and sat in another one. He falls through the next chair.

Alex jumped up ready for another battle. "I guess the mashed potatoes wasn't enough for you Jo? Alright, Grandpa - Pass me the cranberry sauce."

"No!" Joanna got out still laughing through her hand.

"Alex?" Elise called out his name. "It was me. I accidentally brought up the broken chairs from the basement." She laughed.

Alex smirked put mashed potatoes on his mom's cheek. She grabbed a handful and put some on his.


	12. Water Damage and Therapy

Water Damage and Therapy

* * *

"Will you guys knock it off? Don't make me nuts today!"

Alex and Joanna chased each other around the house shooting each other with high rifled nurf guns.

"They're at it again, aren't they?" Jen came in and sat at the kitchen table.

"Joanna! Alex! Stop!" She said again.

"You're dead Jo!" Alex flipped over the island with this nurf gun and pointed it at her. "Surrender now … and maybe I'll be merciful with you."

"Never!"

She dodged the nurf bullet and hid in the living room.

"You're thick headiness is going to cost you your life one of these days Jo." Alex beckoned her. "By Mr. Nurf."

"Yeah well I am going to sue Mr. Nurf for putting me into therapy." Elise told him.

Alex ran into the living room after Joanna.

"I don't know what to do with these two." Elise sighed.

Mallory came into the house.

"I picked up some extra groceries mom."

"Thanks Mallory."

Mallory put them away.

"What's all that laughter and running upstairs?" Mallory pointed out.

"Who do you think?" Jen shrugged.

"Well at least Alex's getting his exercise."

"He doesn't need his exercise." Elise sighed. "He needs to stop picking on Joanna and come in the kitchen and have dinner like a member of this family."

"Last week Alex talked us into playing hide and seek in the dark. That didn't hold over so well." Jen said. "Especially when he jumped at us and Joanna basically fell down the stairs because she couldn't see where she was going."

"You guys need to calm down with the games and pranks. Someone could get hurt. And I need all of you to be responsible to watch Andy." Elise said. "Especially when your father and I plan to go away."

"Don't worry mom." Mallory said. "If Alex wants to act like he is in Kindergaden again, then you just have to trust me more." She beamed. "Which means I get to tell Alex what to do."

Elise had another addition to the family. Andy Keaton. He was just a year old now.

Upstairs Alex had put away the nurf gun and was planning on coming down for dinner before his mom flipped out. Joanna was in the bathroom filling up a few water balloons.

Alex came out in the hallway.

"Come on Jo. I need to wash my hands." He said.

"I'll be out in the minute."

"A minute? A minute in girl talk is an hour. What do I have to do to get you out of the bathroom, make a trail of Reeces by the door?"

"That actually might work considering my sweet tooth." She laughed.

"Obviously. You eat everything in this house." Alex said.

Joanna opened the door.

"Hey Alex …"

"What?"

She threw the balloon in his face and he was bombarded and soaked with water.

"Oh noo! You just signed your death wish." He said. Alex quickly filled up another balloon and chased her—he slid down the banister to reach the stair case before she did.

"I got you just where I want you now." Alex said.

Just as Elise came into the living room to tell them that dinner was ready, Joanna ducked and the water balloon came flying towards Elise's head and she was soaked.

"ALEX!"

"Whoops. My bad."

"Both of you are grounded for 2 weeks!"

"She started it!" Alex pointed.

"I don't care who started it. You are grounded. Any more talk from either of you and I'll add an additional week to the weeks that you have. Must I remind you, that your father's insurance doesn't cover water damage or therapy?"


	13. Out of Town

Out of Town

* * *

"What are we going to do when we have to go out of town next week for our anniversary?" Elise asked her husband in the bedroom before they were getting ready to bed.

"The same thing we do every year." Steven told Elise. "The kids will be fine. Alex is the oldest and he is perfectly capable of watching everyone. Mallory and Jennifer promised to take turns picking up Andy from school. And don't forget we have Joanna here as well. She has babysat for Andy before."

"That's not what I meant. I trust the kids and I definitely trust Joanna with Andy. I just don't trust Alex with Joanna. How do we know that the two of them aren't going to kill each other while we are away?"

"Well the two of them have some things they need to work out. We can't keep worrying whether or not they are going to get along."

"Mom wants us." Mallory said. "She said it's urgent." Mallory told Jen as they both walked into the house together.

"Another family meeting. I wonder what Alex broke this time."

"It's probably about them going away."

"Oh."

Alex was sitting outside waiting for his sisters to get home.

"Just in time." He slapped his hands and rubbed them together like a little fly scheming something.

"What are you so cheerful about?" Mallory asked him as they walked into the kitchen.

"Mom and dad are going away. That means I'm in charge." He told her.

"Not if you act like you are in Kindergarden. Mom said I'm the most responsible one." Mallory told him.

"Yeah but I'm the oldest." He told her.

"FAMILY MEETING!" Elise yelled from the living room. "And it's Urgent!"

As Joanna was taking a sip of orange juice, Jen grabbed her hand and pulled her along into the living room following her brother and sister.

"Guys you are all well aware that your father and I are going away for our anniversary and we are leaving Alex in charge just like last time. The rules: – no parties, no alcohol – you can have friends over but they are not allowed to stay the night and Andy has to be in bed by 9."

"Sounds like a plan." Alex replied.

"And Alex … this is very important. I don't want you and Joanna killing each other while we are away."

"Well that all depends if she behaves herself."

"No pranks then. No gluing each other to any objects in the house. No water balloon fights. No pies being thrown in anyone's faces. And please keep your verbal volleyball to yourself." Elise told him.

"Well if you and dad are going away you won't hear any of our verbal volleyball." Alex smiled.

"Alex I'm serious."

"What's verbal volleyball Alex? Is it like a game?" Jen asked.

"Yeah … except with words, Jen."

"How can you serve words to each other?"

"It's a long story."

"Just try to learn to get along with each other." Elise begged them.

Later that night, Alex had invited Skippy over to play games with Joanna, Mallory and Jen. Andy was sound asleep in his room.

Skippy was telling Joanna about the time that Elise drove them to school when they were in the second grade and Alex was having a temper tantrum and crying in the back seat.

_"Alex what is wrong? Why are you crying?" _Elise asked.

_"Because everyone tells me that I am too small to be the governor of New Jersey!"_

Joanna, Mallory and Jen cracked up hysterically.

"I'm glad you all find this so amusing." Alex said. "But I just want you to know that really bothered me. I felt like my dreams were shattered."

"Well I don't know how to break this to you Alex." Mallory said. "But you're still too small."

"Shut up Mallory."


	14. Take Out Is Safer

Take Out is Safer

* * *

"Joanna would you be able to start dinner tomorrow night? I am going to be working late and Mallory and Jen are going to be taking exams after school."

"Sure, Elise."

"Should we all pre warn the fire department before hand incase something happens?" Alex asks.

"Alex." Elise gave him a look.

Later that day Joanna is by herself cooking and Alex comes home before Mallory and Jen; She is preparing something else on the counter. He looks at the stove as the pot is making a really loud buzzing sound.

Alex tapps Jo on the shoulder and she turns around and looks at him.

"What?"

Alex asks: "Do you think it's trying to tell us something?" He points to the stove.

Joanna walks over to it while she is saying, "I hope you all like what I am making. It's chicken and saffron rice served with white wine sauce. I've been preparing it all day."

Just as she reaches the pot - it explodes and all of it goes everywhere. "AAHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! AAH!" She screams and then ends up in Alex's arms and they fall to the floor.

Joanna jumped up and looked at the mess she made.

"Oh my goodness! Oh are you all right?"

"I'm alright, but I don't think dinner is." Alex remarked with a cackle. "But at least the house didn't burn down."

"OH. OH, jesus. I can't believe what happened!" She ran over and shut the stove off and grabbed a bunch of paper towels to clean up the stove. "I was really excited about this. I wanted to impress you. I feel like such an idiot."

"Im not much for chicken with sauce anyway." Alex tried to lighten the situation. "Why don't I help you clean this up and we order take out for everyone? I'll just use my credit card."

"Steven said to only use it in case of emergengies."

"I think this qualifies for an emergency." Alex said.

"I guess that will have to do. I am not going to have time to prepare anything else."

Alex and Joanna cleaned up the rest of the kitchen and it looked like nothing had happened.

"Good as new." Alex said. Alex then noticed that she had a few peices of rice in her bangs.

"Wait you have some rice in your hair." He reached over and took them out for her and then brushed a few strands of hair out of her face and looked into her eyes.

"Thanks Alex." Joanna looked at him. Alex was quiet for a moment while looking at her, but then broke away from his trance.

"Uh no problem, Jo."

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and they both turned to look.

"The food is here." She replied.

"Good. Good." Alex ran over to the door and opened it to pay for the food. They put it out on the table and when Elise came home, followed by Mallory, Jen and Steven they looked impressed at what lay out for them.

"You did all of this?" Elise asked.

"This looks great." Jen said.

"Um ... well." Joanna stuttered. "Not all by myself."

"Of course you did Jo." Alex said. "I mean I just helped a little. Don't give me all the credit."

He pulled out a chair for her to sit.

"Thanks Alex." She said. Elise and Steven looked surprised that they were getting along.

"Ok let's eat."

They all sat down to have dinner.


	15. The Glue that Binds us Together

The Glue that Binds us Together

* * *

Joanna walks into the kitchen from outside. Mallory was making a cake for Jennifer and was anxiously waiting for her new boyfriend Nick to come meet everyone.

"I think it's almost done. I'm going to check on it again in a few minutes. Can you grab the plates off the counter and put them on the island for me?"

"Sure." Joanna tells Mallory.

Mallory walked out of the kitchen area for a moment. Joanna grabs the plates and went to walk with them, but then noticed something was right when she went to put them down on the island and they were stuck to her hand. She tapped the plates a few times on the edge and then swung them in the air and then looked at them again.

Elise and Mallory walked into the kitchen next.

"You got the plates?" Mallory asked.

"Yeah or more like the plates got me."

"What do you mean?" Elise asked.

Joanna showed them her hands.

"ALEX P Keaton!" Elise yells from kitchen. "Get in here this instance."

Alex comes in, "What happened?"

Elise and Mallory look at him.

"This ... happened." They show him Jo's hands.

Alex's chuckles.

"Something tells me you had something to do with this." Elise said.  
"I swear it wasn't me."  
"Don't lie about it."  
"I'm serious mom. Name one time I did not fess up and take the grounding? Name one."

"He's got a point." Mallory said. "Unfortunately."

"This is wonderful ... from now on I am going to go through life known as Plate Girl." Joanna looked agitated.

"Hey, that might turn out to be a good look for you Jo." Alex said.  
"Don't try to cheer me up."

Mallory shut the oven off and got other plates.

Jen walked in covering her eyes. "If the cakes out, I don't want to see it. I'm just here for the glue for my science project."

"You mean this glue?" Alex looked it over. "The one that seeped out all over the counter?"

"Yeah that's the one."

"Jennifer that glue seeped onto the plates which are now glued to Joanna's hands."

"Oh boy." Jennifer looked concerned. "Oh man. I'm really sorry Jo. Am I going to be grounded?"

"No, it was an accident. Just remember to close the cap better."

"She gets off the hook but I was ready to be grounded for a year." Alex said.

"That's because you would have done it on purpose." Elise told him.

"Other than my predicament." Joanna changed the subject. "The cake looks great, Mallory."

"Thank you."

The door bell rang.

"Oh that must be Nick." Mallory said and ran to open the door.

Nick came in and was introduced to everyone.

"This is my mom Elise, my dad Steven Keaton, my sister Jennifer, my brother Alex. And that's Joanna Davis. No relation."

Alex rested his arm on top of Joanna's head. "Yeah mom found her struggling along the road about a year ago and felt bad for this poor specimen of a person who was born with plates stuck to her hands. The caring mother she is, had no choice to take her in, because she is such a warm hearted person. We keep her in the basement."

Joanna tried to elbow him to get away from her.

"A!" Nick said.

"A." Alex and Jen both said together.

Through out the night Alex kept on cracking jokes about Jo's mishap

"Alex alright already with the plate jokes." Elise begs him to stop.  
"I can't help it." He said laughing.

"You could find something useful to do like help me eat since I don't have any hands." Joanna tells him.

"Fine. Fine." Alex said. He cut up her food and then started to talk baby talk to her. "Does the little girl want her food? Here comes the airplane …." He swarms the fork by her. "Now open your mouth."

Joanna opens her mouth and he puts the food in.

"Good girl." He patted her on the head.

"This is humiliating. If I had hands I would throw cake at you."

"If you had hands, I wouldn't have to feed you." Alex told her.

"Are the two of you dating?" Nick asked.

Alex looked like he was going to cry. "Don't do that to us please."

"I didn't know. I'm sorry." Nick shrugged. "I didn't think you were serious about the basement thing."

"He's not." Mallory said. "Joanna is staying with us because she has a situation back at home and Jen accidentally left super glue on the plates that she was going to give to me. A freak thing."

"I feel awful about it." Jen said.

When it was time for Jen's cake, Joanna comes in with it and slides it on the table. Alex snickers. "We need forks too." She gave him a look and then walked back in the kitchen.

"Well I guess it's kind of hard to serve that with plates stuck to your hands." Nick laughed.

Joanna comes back into the dinning table holding the water hose from the sink between her arms.

"Hey Alex."

"What?" He looks up.

She sprays with him the water.

Alex grabbed a piece of his cake and smushed it in her face.

"Not again." Elise watched as they chased each other around the room.

"Young love." Jennifer sighed.


	16. Nixon's Reflection

Nixon's Reflection

* * *

It was the weekend of Elise and Steven Keaton's, Anniversary. They were going to be away till Wednesday. The house was quiet, except for a snoring Alex Keaton in his room after taking some medicine for the cold he got from school. While he slept sounding in his bed, Mallory, Nick and Joanna planned to go to a party even though Elise forbade them to have any alcohol while she was away. Alex didn't care as long as they didn't disturb his rest. He had finals all next week and he had to prepare himself.

Earlier that day Mallory and Joanna had gone food shopping.

"I stocked up on more orange juice." Mallory said. "There is more cold medicine in the medicine cabinet and soup in the cupboard. And here are more tissues." She handed them to him.

He grabbed them and sneezed into them gratefully.

"Thanks Mal."

Later that night, they ordered take out from their favorite Italian place down the road. The delivery guy had arrived and was waiting at the door. Alex got up and walked over to pay for it. Joanna sat on the couch Indian style and was braiding Jen's hair.

"Alright guys – here it is." He laid it out on the table. "One large Pepperoni pie, 2 Greek salads, garlic knots, zucchini sticks and a bottle of coke."

"Awesome." Jen was excited.

They ate the food and Joanna brought up Tedesco's good mood as of late.

"Tedesco being lenient is a rarity. Every day I expect the worst to happen. I don't think I ever saw him in a good mood ever." Mallory said.

"Maybe he got lucky." Joanna noted. "But to be honest I really think he has a crush on your mom."

"Why do you say that?" Mallory asked.

"He's always asking about her … or bringing her up in conversation. He told the class about a woman that punched him in the face and her name was Elise. Keaton. And then he blushed."

"Seriously?" Mallory looked shocked.

Alex laughed through a tissue as he went to go blow his nose.

"There was a bit of blush factor going on." He agreed.

"How twisted." Mallory said.

Alex was sitting on the couch holding the remote and flicking through the channels.

"Hey Sneezy, if you keep flicking though this I am going to be convinced that you have A.D.D." Joanna told him.

"Eat your zucchini sticks and be quiet. It's not my fault nothing good is on."

"You're sick anyway. You should be in bed. We don't want to catch your disease."

"It's not contagious. I'm just allergic to you." Alex returned.

After they finished the food, Nick had knocked on the door to pick up Mallory and Joanna for the party.

"Ok we're going. Jen remember to feed Andy at 7:00pm and then put him to bed.

"I will."

"Feel better Alex." Mallory told him.

"I'll try my best." He said.

"Sleep tight, Sneezy." Joanna waved at him. "Don't let the bed bugs bite."

Joanna came home later that night. She opened the back door and slid into the kitchen. "Gee, I don't know what the hell is in a long island ice tea, but I can tell you for a fact that the tea was missing!"

Joanna came stumbling up the stairs, climbing them one by one. "I think I lost part of my limbs." She then opened Alex's door, thinking it was hers. She sat on the edge of Alex's bed taking off her shoes and undressing and trips and falls onto the floor. "I'm ok. I'm ok." She muttered to herself. "I'm alright." Alex was sound asleep and just rolled over in his bed. Joanna gets up and walks over to a picture of Richard Nixon that he had on his night stand and lifted it up to look at herself as if it was a mirror.

"Omg no wonder I can't get a date. I look horrible." She put the picture back down and walked towards Alex's closet to look for something to wear to bed. All she could find was a large flannel over shirt.

"Boy, I need to get rid of some of those pant suits." She replied and then climbed into Alex's bed and fell fast asleep.

The following morning one of Alex's friends from school came in to surprise him with breakfast and coffee. As she opened the blinds, "Rise and shine … Alex," The girl then screamed out bloody murder. Alex jumped up with no shirt on: "Rachel what the hell are doing in here?"

Rachel said: What the hell am I doing here? What the hell is _she _doing here?

"Who?" He asked looking to the left of him. "_Oh_?" He leaned over to get a closer look at who was in his bed. He screamed out. "Aaahhh! _Gracious! JOANNA!" _

Joanna turns over in the bed looked at Alex and smiled: "Ooh, I'm having that dream again." She touched his face and screams when she realizes that she wasn't dreaming about Alex and she was actually sleeping in his bed. She wraps herself in his sheet and leaps out. "Alex! What are you doing …" She paused a moment. "In _your_ bed?"

"Ok well … I don't know what is going on but I'll leave the two of you to sort it out. Your breakfast is on your desk. Maybe you could share it."

"Rach, it's not what you think." Alex goes to chase her but she was gone. He came back into his room. "Joanna there has to be a perfectly rational explanation to all of this but with you that is hardly the case!" He yelled out towards her. She kind of made a face at him.

"What?" Alex asked.

"Nothing it's just that you could use a tic tack or something."

Alex threw on a clean shirt. "How did you get here in the first place?"

"Oh I don't know." She sat down on the edge of his bed with a disgusted look on her face. "I guess I got a bit tipsy last night at the party. Anyways, what's your _excuse_?"

"Well I did take a lot of cold medicine last night." Alex considered then yelled out. "Joanna! I don't need an excuse, it's my room! _Tipsy_? What did you drink?"

"It was a long island ice tea."

"Do you know what is in a Long Island ice tea?"

"I do now." She said and stood up. "And besides I'm a grown woman, I could have a lousy drink if I want one. Unlike you I'm going through a personal crises!"

"Give me that!" Alex pulled the sheet off of her to make the bed and noticed that she was wearing his long dark green flannel night shirt with no pants. He sort of blushed and turned away from her so she couldn't see him.

"Jo, you're wearing my night shirt."

She looked down and felt her even more embarrassed.

"Alex, I'm so sorry. I feel like such an idiot." She took a deep breath.

"Joanna it's ok. I'm sure there were worse things that could happen then to wake up in Alex P. Keaton's bed."

"That's true. Last night I picked up your Richard Nixon picture and I thought it was a reflection of myself. I'm so happy that wasn't true no offense to Nixon."

"None taken."

Later that Saturday morning Joanna came into the kitchen with an orange / red robe on followed by Mallory, Jennifer and Andy. Alex took the breakfast that Rachel gave him and asked if they wanted to share it with him.

"What was that yell this morning?" Mallory asked. "I nearly fell out of bed."

"It was me." Alex said.

"You kind of scream like a girl." Jennifer told him.

"Well when you wake up to seeing Rachel Kerr smiling over you you'd scream like that too. The girl is whacked. Skippy told her my parents were going out of town and she kept asking me to invite her over even after I said no four times. Who let her in?"

"I didn't." Mallory said.

"Me either." Jen said.

"Don't look at me." Jen shrugged. "I don't talk to strangers."

"I don't know." Joanna shrugged and sat at the table drinking some coffee she made.

After they finished breakfast and Mallory and Jennifer took Andy to the mall. Joanna turned to Alex who was sitting on the Island reading the paper.

"Alex, I can't apologize enough for what happened this morning."

"Don't worry about it."

"I think it was me …"

"What do you mean?"

"I must have left the door unlocked when I came home last night that explains how Rachel was able to get in."

"It's alright. Rachel shouldn't have just let herself in if no one was there to let her in."

"I promise not to do something stupid like that again."

"What leaving the door unlocked or falling asleep in my bed?"

"Both."

"I have to admit. I sort of liked seeing you in my flannel shirt. It looked very cute on you."

"Thanks. I love it a lot actually. It's really comfortable." She told him.

"You can keep it, courtesy of Alex P. Keaton."


	17. Shopper's Remorse

Shoppers Remorse

* * *

"Hey guys what are you up to?" Alex skipped into the kitchen. "Where you going? Anywhere interesting?"

"Well … we were going to go to the mall. You know. Shop." Jen told him.

"The mall?" Alex looked interested pulled a chair over and took a seat. "Now that sounds like my kind of fun. When are we going?"

"We? There is no we, Alex." Mallory told him. "And besides you hate the mall. You always pick on me when I want to go shop. The mall is beneath you."

"What?" Alex looked shocked. "I never said that. Come on Mallory, when do we ever spend quality time together outside of the home?"

"Never." She said.

"Right. So why not start now?"

Mallory looked at Joanna and shook her head disapprovingly.

"Come on Mal." Alex pleaded. "I don't have anything else to do. It's either sit home bored or go to hang out with Skippy's weird 40 year old friend Pete who sells memorabilia of Hulk Hogan in his garage."

"Now that sounds like a good time." Jen said.

"Please …." Alex begged them.

"Fine Alex. Just don't annoy us."

"I won't. I promise."

Mallory, Jen, Alex and Joanna walked around the mall. As the girls browsed the clothing store, Alex stayed close behind Joanna as she peered at articles of clothing on the rack. He looked over her shoulder.

"Eh." He said.

Joanna looked up at him and then moved away. He followed her again. She saw a cute shirt with bows on it and surveyed it.

Alex chuckled in his hand.

Joanna moved to another section with floral sweaters. She grabbed a cute rose one and held it up to look in the mirror. Alex appeared smiling behind her in the reflection and she flinched.

"Alex, do you mind?" Joanna asked. Mallory noticed that her brother was being annoying and looked over at the two of them.

"Yeah Alex." Mallory said. "You promised you wouldn't bust chops."

"What? What am I doing?" He shrugged. "I didn't say anything."

Joanna grabbed the rose sweater and walked back and grabbed the cute bow shirt she originally passed up and moved to the dresses. He followed her again.

"You're really going to try that on?"

"Must you always pick on everything I want to wear?" She asked him.

"When your consistent style of outfits consist of bows or frilly things, I kind of do."

"Then what do you suggest for me to wear?"

"A potato sack." He told her.

"I'm serious." Joanna said. "What do you like a girl to wear?"

"That's the thing. I don't care. I think fashion is just a waste of time."

"That's because Alex is a virgin." Jen remarked.

"Jen be quiet. And no I am not. I just don't think people should center their lives on fashion and clothes and silly things. They should care about books and politics."

"Then maybe you should go to the library and ask the librarian out on a date." Jen told him.

"Alex. Just because I like stuff like this, doesn't make me to be any less smarter then the girls that you like. I was bumped up to Tedesco's writing class because I am a good writer. I am still a good writer whether I wear a bow in my hair or a unicorn on my shirt. So please stop trying annoy me about it." Joanna grabbed a dress to try on and she walked over to the dressing room.

"Yeah what she said." Jen flipped her hair and walked away.

"Jesus." Alex ran his fingers though his hair. "I really messed that up."

Mallory had a bunch of stuff she wanted to try on, when she comes out with a bunch of stuff she wants to get, Alex turned to her and asked:

"You're going to pay for those?"

"No, I'm going to take them and run." She said sarcastically.

Joanna was trying on a dress in one of the stalls.

"Alright guys I'm coming out. Don't you dare laugh."

She came out and twirled around in a beautiful lavender knee length dress.

Mallory said, "Wow."

Alex started to choke up at that moment. "Is it getting kind of hot in here guys? I gotta check what's in the oven." He turned around and looked behind him. Mallory and Jen gave him a weird look. "Or maybe … I'll just go rummage the bookstore to see if they have any good documentaries on Richard Nixon."

He ran out of the store.  
"Aww, it's so cute when he falls apart." Jen says high fiving her sister.


	18. Unexpected News

Unexpected News

* * *

Alex and Skippy came in the house moments after Joanna did. She was washing the dishes.

"You have a message. It was stuck in the mailbox." Skippy handed the letter to her.

"Thanks." Joanna dried her hands, took the envelope and walked into the living room.

Alex and Skippy were having a conversation when they heard a loud blood curdling scream. They ran into the living room and came across Joanna flinging anything she could find across the room.

"OH!" She yelled out. Alex called after her and ducked when she grabbed a vase and flung it into the wall. He ran towards her when she grabbed a lamp and threw it down. "Joanna!" Alex grabbed her from behind and held her tightly. "Ahhh!" She bellowed.

"Joanna, please."

She struggled in his arms. "NO, LET ME GO!" She broke free for a moment to reach for a cushioned pillow on his mother's couch and she clawed it furiously.

"Joanna!" Alex reached for her again - a million feathers flew up into the air. Skippy just stood back helplessly watching as his two friends struggled with one another in living room. She screamed out more. "Noo! Nooo!" She was in hysterics. "OH." She covered her face in her hands. "Jake! Jake!"

"Joanna." Alex turned her towards him and lifted her up as tears streamed down her face. He placed her down on the couch as she sobbed pain strikingly into her hands. "No … No… No."

The world seemed to meet her in a dizzying rush. Alex knelt down by her as she trembled there on his parent's couch. He touched her shoulder gently and then stood up from her.

"How am I am going to explain what just happened to mom and dad?"

"Maybe you could tell them that a stray dog ran through house knocked over the lamp and vase and ate the pillow."

"That's a long shot."

"I'll help clean up as much as I can." Skippy walked towards him.

Alex looked over at Joanna as she sobbed still.

"What the hell just happened?" He shook his head in disbelief.

"She kept saying the name Jake." Skippy said. "Is that someone you know?"

"Jake? Yeah … she has a brother named Jake in the marines."

"Well she came into the living room with a letter, and then she started screaming. Maybe that has something to do with it." Skippy said.

"Where is the letter?" Alex asked.

Skippy looked around and then bent down and picked something up from off the floor. "I think this is it."

Alex took the crumbled letter and read it out loud.

_"Received notice young Jake killed … in jeep accident, fort Riley, Kansas. Your mother and father join in the sorrow of your mutual loss."_ Alex re crumbled the letter and his eyes welled up with water.

"Oh man." Skippy was at a loss of words.

"Dammit!" Alex turned around and started to pound his fist into the wall. A small hole started to appear.

"Uh." Skippy pointed. "We might be able to explain the other mess but I don't know about the hole in the wall. I don't think any dog is tall enough to do that. I got it. Maybe you could tell them that you were so angry that the dog messed up the living room, you punched the wall in frustration?"

Ignoring Skippy, Alex bent down and cradled Joanna on the couch. "Joanna, I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He lifted her up; she cried in his arms.

Joanna stood still in her dark room, her white nightgown clinging to her closely. She felt the breeze moving through her hair, from her window, yet it was closed, boarded up, like she was a prisoner. All she could think of was how we were all prisoners in our own creation. It passed slowly though her mind and she couldn't grasp onto it long enough to understand its meaning. She had a dream again about some place she used to go to when she was younger, but in this dream she flew. She lifted up her arms and left the ground, the earth, and the world behind. She remembered once when her mother had told her how she always flew in her dreams, glided from rooftop to rooftop, and actually felt the wind against her face.

Sometimes she would dream of the same. But when she dreamt of it, it was because she was trying to get away from something and this was the only way she could escape. To dream to fly, meant that you are escaping the world you know, that it was too painful and your soul needed to break away for a while. In reality she felt like she was a small bird locked in a cage, waiting for the cage to be unlocked.

But last night she imagined that she was standing upon the school's roof looking out at all the stars, connecting new constellations and she watched the cars that past below.

_Where are they all going? Are they all leaving me behind? Will I fall if I stand too close to the edge? _

She stood there in silence with the wind brushing her softly, whispering to her words she couldn't understand. Soft caressing words that she wanted to hear seemed to be lost and did not exist. Tonight she is thinking about flying, like the birds that used to live in the court, a long, long time ago. And she would fly away just like them.

_Does falling feel like flying? _She thought as she felt a shiver on the back of the neck but she only realized that it was the air that came through from the vent up above her.

She closed her eyes and began to feel the tears fall down her face and she lay down on her side, crying softly on the cold concrete floor. It was raining outside. She could hear the wind blowing up against the wall. And even though it had been cold out, she still wanted to go outside. She couldn't really explain the reason. I guess it was because being sad for so long, you just want to leave and it didn't matter at the time, if it had been raining or snowing or too dark to see where you were going.

Alex heard her crying, sobbing loudly from where he sat against his desk in his room. He gripped the side of his face.

"Goddam. Goddam. Goddam. I can't take anymore of this. I can't." He muttered.

He opened the door and saw her sitting in the hallway; her knees were raised up towards her chest. He knelt by her. "Joanna?" She looked at him. He wiped some of the tears from her face. "Alex." She said his name and took a deep breath. "I don't want to loose you."

"I'm going to help you through this." Alex told her. He took her hand in his and led her to his room. He held her there in his bed, let her cry on his shoulder until she was too tired to cry anymore and went to sleep.


	19. Lightheartedness

Lightheartedness

* * *

The news concerning Joanna's loss was indeed unexpected and it hit everyone pretty hard, especially Elise who couldn't imagine loosing any of her children. Joanna remained strong, even after her father showed up at the funeral making a ruckus about being a good father to both Jake and Joanna and that they were ungrateful; she let his foul mouth and inconsideration bounce off her shoulders.

It was only a matter of time before things started to go back to normal in the Keaton home, and by normal that meant that Alex and Joanna picked on each other. It was just something that was expected and no one looked too much into it.

They also noticed a more light hearted form of teasing and Alex being less insensitive and more brotherly towards Joanna.

"A lot has happened between them I think." Elise said. "I mean it _was_ Alex who was there when Joanna got the news about her brother. There is just so much that girl could take."

"I can't believe her father came to Jake's funeral drunk, and tried to make us believe that what he did to Joanna was for her own good? The only good thing that happened was that we took her into our home so she could have a better life, but meanwhile he was trying to take her back."

"Joanna is going to be 16 in a month – in 2 years she is going to be an adult and it should be up to her if she wants to associate with her father or not. I don't understand why any one would even consider sending her back to that creep. He reeked of alcohol. It was disgusting." Jen looked like she was going to be sick.

"Well, he has a right to." Elise said. "Joanna isn't ours and we really didn't have a right to take her. Let's just hope he doesn't try to get her back or try to go through the court to do it."

Alex and Joanna both walked into the kitchen together. Joanna sat next to Elise.

"Would you like some coffee?" Elise asked.

"Sure."

She poured it for her.

Jen passed her the box of social tea cookies. She took a few and dunked them into her coffee.

Alex poured himself a glass of orange juice.

"Hey Snowwhite, if you see any creepy old ladies trying to sell you apples, don't buy any. They might be poisoned."

"Thanks for the heads up, Grumpy. Have a good day and don't forget to whistle while you work." She winked.

"Right back at you." Alex playfully punched her on the shoulder.

After the two of them walked outside, Elise took a sip of her coffee.

"I guess in Alex – Joanna lingo that meant, have a good day at school?" Elise said a loud.

"Maybe this is just their way of flirting." Jen shrugged.

"Then it's kind of a twisted relationship." Mallory considered.

Later that day Alex sat in his creative writing class while his teacher went on about the importance of poetry and writing.

_"What is poetry? Why do you write it?"_ The teacher let it float in the air for a while but then he noticed how Alex was resting on his hand staring off at something in the distance. He looked at what he could have possibly been staring at and noticed that only thing in his view was the new girl Joanna Davis.

"Mr. Keaton?"

Alex woke up from his trance.

"Yes, Tedesco."

"Perhaps for tonight's poetry assignment you could use the theme of what is so fascinating about Miss Davis's ear."

Alex embarrassedly tapped his pen on his desk. Joanna touched the side her ear and looked at Alex with a confused expression on her face. Alex looked back at her and shrugged.

"Now that you are awake Mr. Keaton can you give me your intake on what you think poetry is?" Tedesco asked.

"Poetry? Sure. It takes up over two columns in the OED, (Oxford English Dictionary) which says things like "the work of the poet" and "patterned language" and "elevated words and figurative uses, and option of a syntactical order, differing more or less from those of ordinary speech or prose writing. There you go: The Answer."

"Interesting response, Mr. Keaton."

"Thanks."

The teacher walked around the room and began to address the class. "Sometimes I read a poem that I just want to crawl into and live inside of. I've only felt that with poetry. So I could say that I write it because maybe someday I'll write something that will make someone feel that way, but I never think about that. Anyway, it feels too late to quit now, even though my poetry is an envelope for jokes. To me poetry is the attempt to express what "cannot be expressed. I write it cause I want to be the first to. Poetry is indefinable. I think it is merely human utterance, polished into art that can resonate on several levels of meaning and understanding."

The teacher now picked on Joanna and asked her. "What about you, Joanna … what inspires you?"

"Writing."

A bitchy girl looked confused.

"That's not a _muse_." She chuckled. "A muse is what makes you want to write."

"Can you clarify your meaning?" The teacher asked. "Why is the act of writing your muse? Or here is another question, why do you want to write?"

"_Writing makes me imagine a better life for myself_." She told him.


	20. Snowwhite in Wallstreet

Snowhite in Wallstreet

* * *

"Joanna, you are so beautiful." Mallory told her. "Why do you always want to hide yourself?"

"I don't know. I just don't really like getting attention from people, well guys mostly. Guys are always staring at me and I can't describe how it feels. It's like I see them seeing something that I haven't even discovered for myself yet. I look at my reflection and sometimes I don't even know who is looking back at me. And then I think I want to get to know this person better."

"Well we need to work on this negativity you have and bring you out of your shell. I promise you are going to be so happy and confident. Let me give you a make over or take you shopping for new outfits or maybe you could design something that you think you would like and I could make it for you. I've been taking fashion design classes and learning how to make things."

"You should definitely let her help you." Jennifer told her. "Mallory's main thrill in life is giving makeovers. It gives her a sense of control in a world of chaos."

"Well this is an offer that I can't refuse."

During the day she suited herself and sat waiting at the field in anticipation of finally being alone to read. She found herself basking in the sun more and more and her skin changed to a more cinnamon hue—the color of her hair has always been so dark—the blackness bringing out her eyes, but now the pigment let her eyes shone through even more—the green able to be seen for miles.

Joanna wasn't very tall; in fact Alex was a few inches taller than her. She thought that Mallory was older, but she said that it was because she was taller than him. For Joanna's height, her structure was almost surreal. She had the perfect hip ratio, the perfect little hands, the perfect feet and her bust was immaculate, which was why she tried to hide it.

Alex called her Snow White, because of her soft black hair and pale skin and the red bows she loved to wear—although she never cared much for the princess; she admired her kindness and politeness to everyone around her. She was kind to all walks of life, and incredibly brave despite everything she went through. She was the fairest of them all, not because of her physical beauty, but because of her heart and her soul — her inner beauty. The reason why the queen could never be as beautiful as her was because she missed the point all together, she was only looking at the outside and not the inside.

But in the end Joanna felt she could not live up to what the princess represented, especially over her insecurity. She felt she didn't have the confidents to carry herself without doubt that she was just this shy, uncomfortable, anxious girl who could never really play pretend very well. All costumes came off after the curtain falls and Joanna's dreams, sometimes felt like stillborns—derived of chances before they were conceived. They'd become light weight and drifty giving the wind the advantage to lift them as they desecrated, like sugared candy washed of dye and life.

After school Alex came into the kitchen complaining about his teacher being too diplomatic.

"He keeps on picking on me to read out my poems in front of class. It's humiliating."

"What did you write about?" Jen asked.

"I wrote about how much I love Ronald Regan. No one got it."

"I don't think anyone would ever get it." Jen assured him.

"Joanna writes very well actually." Elise told him.

"I know that. That is why she is in Tedesco's writing class." Alex said.

"How is the arrogant insufferable bastard holding up?" Elise asked.

"I think you and dad actually had some influence on him to be honest. He's been more sensitive."

"I guess a punch in the face in a person's life time could do them some good … when they deserve it of course." Jen considered.

"Well, Maybe Joanna could give you a few pointers." Elise said. Joanna looked shyly at Alex from over her shoulder as she fixed herself a sand which.

"What do you write? Like Poetry, short stories?" Alex asked.

"I've been writing books and screen plays for a while. I have about five manuscripts."

"Really?" Mallory, Alex and Jen all seemed impressed. Joanna sort of blushed a bit and looked down.

"Um. I don't know how good they are though. I still have a lot of editing to do."

"I'm going out to dinner with your father and a few of his friends tonight. Elise told her kids. "So you have to fend for yourself for dinner if you don't have plans already."

"I have a double date tonight with my friend." Mallory commented.

"Well I guess it's just going to be Jen, me and Joana tonight. You know what that means." Alex said with a smirk.

"Well if it's not you trying to glue me to the table … Then I don't know what that means." Joanna said.

"Wallstreet Week!"

"Oh no." Mallory looked nervous. "Don't do that to her."

"What? Who wouldn't want to watch Wallstreet Week?"

"You tortured her enough." Jen told him. "I think she'd rather be glued to the table, well as long as it's not in the living room so she'd be forced to watch such a boring show."

"You guys don't know quality programs if they hit you in the face." Alex told Jen.

"I'd rather watch Miss Piggy get her purse snatched in Central Park and then tracks down the guy while wearing roller skates." Jen said.

A few moments later Elise left with Steven for dinner and Nick picked up Jen and Mallory. Andy was playing in his room. Alex and Jo were still in the kitchen. Jo was eating her sandwich and poured some soda to drink.

"So tell me about your poem, Alex."

"You don't want to know about it. I threw it out, erased it from history. I don't want to derail the presidency with such horridness."

"Well poems should be about what you like and what you feel, sometimes you need to write just to get it out. I do it for therapy. It helped me a lot. And between you and me, I don't know much about politics, but I have nothing against Regan. In fact I think he is amazing."

Alex swung his mobile chair over towards her.

"Now I think we are getting somewhere." He said. He stood up to face her. "What do you like particularly about him? What makes him amazing?"

"His charisma, _his_ personality." She replied.

"Charisma, definitely … that is a good word." He liked what he was hearing.

"Just what he stood for— I mean not every republican is going to be bad, just like every democrat. I don't choose based on a group but by who I trust and who makes me feel safe. Regan made me feel safe, like my grandfather did."

"That's really beautiful Jo."

"Why because I'm the only one in this house, besides you that loves him?" She chuckled.

"No, because you finally really opened up to me and shared a piece of yourself. I barely know anything about you and you have been with this family forever."

"I want to show you something." Joanna washed her plate and cup and told Alex to follow her to her room.

This was the first time Alex had been in her room. He saw that she had stacks and stacks and stacks of books.

"Mom wasn't kidding that you like to read. I think you could make your own library."

"I'm sure I could."

She had every book you could possibly imagine.

"You read all of these?"

"Most of them." She replied. "The Awakening is a very good book by Kate Chopkin. It was written in the 1800s. Also Crime and Punishment. A Separate Peace. The outsiders. Anything Shakespeare."

"All very good reads." Alex looked around. "You don't look like the bookish type. But I like that about you, you are _mysterious_."

Joanna handed Alex a picture. "Here this is what I wanted to show you."

"You met Ronald Regan?"

"No." She laughed. "That is my grandfather. This is Ronald Regan." She showed him a picture she had on her dresser of the president.

"Your grandfather looks like Ronald Regan?"

"Believe it or not."

"Wow the resemblance is remarkable."

"I suppose that's why I loved him so much. I loved my grandfather a lot. So when I saw Regan on tv when I was little I used yell out Grandpa!"

"That's adorable." Alex admitted. "I also find it ironic that I am not the only person that has a president's picture in their room. I got so much flack for that. I can't wait to lay it on them when they get home."

"Alex!" Jen yelled out. "It's time for Wallstreet Week. You don't want to miss it!" Jen said sarcastically.

They had pizza out on the coffee table and soda. Joanna handed out plates with slices and they all started to watch.

"This is great." Alex said. "Watch this part."

"I'll think I'll take the chance and pass on the experience all together." Jen told him.

"Hey Jen. I watched Muppets Take Manhattan with you and Jo earlier."

"Yeah but you enjoyed it." Jen said.

20 minutes later Alex turned around to say: "Hey Jen, did you just see that?"

But she was curled up along the side of Joanna's chest and they both were sound asleep. Alex looked down at Joanna as she slept so peacefully. He touched the side of her face gently and caressed her shoulder for a short while. He leaned and kissed Jen on the forehead and grabbed a soft blanket to throw over them.

After Alex put Jen to bed; Mallory, Elise and Steven all came home at the same time. Joanna was sitting on the couch with Jen.

"How was Wallstreet Week?" Mallory asked.

"I don't know. I fell asleep in the middle of it."

"I warned you." She shrugged and sat on the couch's arm.

Alex slid down the banister in a hurry.

"Alex!" Elise looked at her son as if he lost it. "Don't you know how to use the stairs?"

"Alright guys, I have an announcement to make! It's very important so listen carefully."

"Get on with it, Alex." Steven seemed impatient. "I don't have the money to fix the banister every time you have something important to say."

"I just want you all to know that I am the not the only one who has a picture of a president on their dresser." Alex pointed at Joanna. "Joanna is just obsessed with Ronald Regan than I am."

Jen looked at Joanna and made a face.

"Ok we can't talk to you anymore." She told her.


	21. Archetypal Afternoons

Archetypal Afternoons

* * *

Mallory, Jennifer, and Joanna were having a conversation in the kitchen. Alex came in and they hushed up.

"Don't stop talking because I came into the room. I am not going to pry into what it is. I mean unless you are talking about me, then I have a right to know."

"This is an A B conversation." Jen told him. "C your way out of it."

"Well if you put it that way."

"We are putting it that way." Mallory told him.

"Damn … what are you girls on your cycle or something?"

"Yes it's called PMS." Mallory told him. "Putting up with Men's shit."

Alex then looked at Jonana and raised an eyebrow.

"What are you, Boy George today?"

"ALEX! Please I don't have time for this!" Joanna snapped at him. "Really!"

"Jeese. I was only kidding. Relax."

Mallory got up and let Nick in from the back door.

"A!" He said and sat down at the table. "What's up?"

Joanna was still focusing on Alex. "I don't want to be annoyed today. You don't get it, do you?"

"I do get it. I just don't get what I did. I haven't bugged you in a while. I make one comment about your sweater and you jump down my throat."

"You said she dances like Boy George." Mallory replied.

"No I said she looks like Boy George. I didn't say she danced like Boy George, because that would actually mean she would have to dance, but she doesn't look like she is in the mood to."

"Why don't you find some useful thing to do, like see what is going on in Wallstreet!" Joanna told him.

"Hey, when they decided to make another remake of The Exorcist, they should give you the lead roll." Alex said back to her.

"Any role that requires putting someone to sleep should be given to you." Joanna told him. Alex had nothing to say to that.

"What is _your_ problem?" Alex asked.

"You know what happens when you play the Exorcist backwards?" Nick commented. "It's about a girl that is very sick, ate pea soup and got better."

"That's amazing, Nick." Alex looked at him.

Joanna wiped tears from the corners of her eyes and got up from the table.

Alex followed her.

"Joanna, please tell me what I did."

"Nothing."

"Then what's wrong?"

"My mom … she is just getting worse. I just can't go up there by myself anymore. I can't. Nothing I'm ever going to say is going to erase all the pain she went through or take away her sickness. I feel worthless."

"Joanna, don't say that. You are not worthless! Don't let anyone make you think that."

"I just can't help it to feel this way."

"When are you going to visit her?"

"This Saturday."

"I want to go with you." Alex told her.

"You don't have to."

"I think it'll be a good thing for me to go, to see what it's like there and I want to be supportive. I am basically like an older brother to you and I have to be there, because Jake isn't."

"I really appreciate this Alex, a lot."

Saturday came and Alex and Joanna enjoyed the ride on the train to the hospital.

Although sometimes Joanna didn't really want to think about or remember much of her mother, she knew that she at one point in her life was really happy and that in a way made her happy. She had everything that she wanted in the world; it seemed when it was just the two of them everything was perfect. The sun would peak out through the leaves in the front yard and she would sit under the tree and read to her; She wanted so desperately to remember the taste of summer on skin—the slow tattoo of sunlight shading brown like the pages of a dusty book—the dry gasp of air hungry for moisture, and the gold glint of every archetypal afternoon.

She knew there was this magnificent garden, with a pool of ice. Giant swings that we lay in—not taking part in anything, except just the joy of their existence. She remembered swimming pools, going down the slide—holding on to each other. Forgetting about everything, and just closing over their eyes. She remembered hearing love songs being played on the radio at all times, and listening to her mother singing as she skipped, played hopscotch, Duck, duck Goose, Chinese jump rope and Miss Mary Mac with the neighborhood children. She remembered them picking plum tomatoes from the garden for the fresh sauce they would make for dinner and throwing the rotten ones against the shed to see them explode into a spattering mess. She would wear this huge pink straw hat, which she would bend while taking photos and this billowing white dress that would cascade through the wind, as if it was an angel's gown.

"There is this one picture I kept in my dresser drawer of us. She was sitting on a slide and she was holding me on her lap. I just knew from what I've seen in photographs she looked beautiful—vibrant and happy. It felt like such a wonderful life."

Joanna then pulled the picture out from her purse and showed Alex.

"Wow she looks a lot like you."

"Thanks, Alex. Someimes I feel like I am not even close to being as beauitful as her."

"But you are." He told her.

Joanna realized that Alex had complimented her but she remainded cool and composed and just watched as the scenary pass her view as she sat there on the train.

A moment later Joanna and Alex walked into her room, escorted by one of the orderlies.

"Mom, it's me Joanna."

"Oh honey, I missed you so!" She hugged her tightly. "I've been thinking about us a lot. I think things are going to be alright."

"Oh I know. Things are going to be. I promise." Joanna told her. "This is my friend, Alex. He came with me."

Alex shook her hand.

"I'm Alex P. Keaton. It is nice to finally meet you Marie."

"Alex Keaton? Elise's son?"

"Yes."

"She's told me a lot about you. He's cute Joanna. Don't let this one get away."

"_Mom_." Joanna seemed a little embarrassed.

"I spoke to Jakey earlier. He told me about the house he is going to buy us." She changed the subject.

"But Jake passed away mom. You know that."

"Jake … passed on?" Her mother laughed. "Oh no, no one really dies, Joanna. Jake will be here for us. I know it. He is going to get me out of here. Help me escape … before the robots come and scratch at my skin. They've still trying to take control of my life."

"Mom? Are you feeling ok?"

"Yea. Yea, honey. I'll be ok. Just get me something to drink. I'm a bit thirsty. " A moment later Joanna brought her a glass of chocolate milk. She drank some of it and placed it on the counter and dried her hands.

"Elise tells me that you are doing well in school and you are writing."

"Yes."

"It is good to write. I am happy that you have something to fall back on."

"I found this picture of us. Do you remember?"

"Wow that is such a long time ago." Marie took the picture and looked it over. Marie turned to Alex and told him: "Remember Mr. Keaton that dinosaurs couldn't love you more; they're all dead now. But you'll never see me the same way again. We've buried our past, before it had even begun. No words, we didn't need them. No tears, we are stronger than that."

"Mom?" Joanna tried to get her attention.

She turned back to Joanna looked at the picture again and smiled at her. "But if we go down that slide, we go down together. Remember Joanna, if we go down that slide, we'll go down together."

Joanna stood in the hallway with tears in her eyes. Alex brought her a handful of tissues; she took them gratefully and blew her nose.

"Everything from my childhood seems so vague and arbitrary almost as if it never even existed at all to begin with. And that maybe some of the parts were made up or only existed in my dreams to cover up the parts I didn't like too much."

"I know it must be hard to visit your mother, especially when you care a lot about her and don't want her to be at this place."

"I know she is safe here, but at times I thought maybe she just wanted to escape the man that made her feel so worthless. I wish it didn't have to be that way, but I understand why she wanted to leave. I just feel that we could have had a better life on our own. But every day she just keeps on getting worse."

"Come on Jo. Let me take you to get something to eat." Alex suggested.

"Thanks Alex. I really appreciate this a lot."


	22. Intrusion of Privacy

Intrusion of Privacy

* * *

Joanna had come home from school. No one else was home. She walked up the stairs to her room when she started to hear weird sounds coming from Alex's wall. Alex was leaning up against the wall – moaning a bit. _What is he doing?_ She thought to herself. She went to walk to the bathroom when she heard her name being called out – then louder, through the moans. "Joanna...Jo-Joanna! Jo! God … I want to fuck you so bad."

Joanna stood there frozen a bit, but then ran to get a chair from her room and a glass. She stood on the chair and placed the glass up to the wall to listen. "Oh God!" She heard Alex yell out finally. As Jo tried to balance herself, the chair wobbled a bit and she lost her balance and fell right to the floor. There was a big crash and yell.

Alex runs out of the room to check on what happened and he saw Jo slowly getting to her feet with a broken glass on the floor.

"What were you doing?" Alex asked.

"Uh ... I was just about to get something to drink and I fell."

"Jo the kitchen is downstairs."

"Oh it is ... isn't it? I forgot where I was for a moment."

Alex stayed in his room later that day and only came out when the rest of his family came home. He refused to speak with Joanna as he walked past her trying her best to clean the remnants of the broken glass in the hallway.

At dinner Alex looked pitifully at Joanna while they sat at the kitchen table. Joanna looked down at her plate avoiding eye contact with him.

"Alex, are you alright?" Elise asked him.

"Fine, mom. I'm just fine." Alex choked a bit on his words and continued to stare Joanna down with his fork dangling just inches over his plate.

"Are you going to eat anything?" Jennifer asked. "You didn't even dent your plate. There are starving children inChinayou know."

Alex didn't say anything. Mallory shrugged, reached over pulled his plate away and her and Jen started eating it for him.

After dinner Elise said: "Alex it's your turn to wash the dishes tonight."

"OK." Alex said.

"If it's alright with you Alex – I don't mind washing them tonight." Joanna said.

Alex just stared at her again, didn't say a word and then got up from the table.

"Don't try to do me any favors." He pointed at her and then walked out of the kitchen.

"What's with Alex?" Mallory asked.

Joanna shrugged.

An hour later as Jo washed the dishes, a distraught Alex walked into the kitchen, slammed the back door. He paced the room. Joanna dried her hands and turned around and looked at him as he pointed a finger at her to say something but then stopped himself and stared at Joanna again leaning across the island.

Mallory and Jen both looked at each other and then back at Joanna.

"Isn't it time for us to do a make over?" Mallory suggested to Jennifer.

"Yeah. Yeah." Jen agreed. "Let's go do it now."

They both hurried out of the kitchen, but then stopped by the door to peak and listen on the other side of the room.

"Joanna … I made a pact with myself never to speak to you again … but I have given myself permission to suspend it briefly … cause frankly Jo … the curiosity is killing me. How an earth can you explain what you did to me earlier? Go a head … I'm listening."

"Alex." Joanna started to say.

"No stop right there … I know what you are going to say." His eyes were big and he pointed at her.

"Then what is it?" She asked.

"Well … I dunno … what could you say to justify yourself for being a perv?"

"If I'm a perv, then that would have to make you a Perv."  
"What did you think I was doing in my room? What did you hear?"  
"What was I supposed to hear?" She asked him.

"Nothing you were supposed to hear nothing." He said and was about to leave the room.

"Alex wait." Joanna said.

"What?" He turned around and looked at her.

"There is something I want to say to you."

Alex turned around and faced her.

"Alright."

"Firstly, I apologize for being intrusive … I have no right to listen in on anything that is going on. It's your room and your business …"

"Ok." Alex considered.

"And secondly, I didn't hear anything so you have nothing to worry about."

"Alright."

"Can we make up and be friends again?" She asked him.

"I don't know."

_"Alex …"_

"I'm joking." He said. They hugged. She could feel the warmth of his embrace and it enveloped her entire body. His hands felt her back and he held her close for a moment longer. Just as Alex looked into Joanna's eyes and went to touch the side of her face gently, Mallory and Jen came tumbling down into the kitchen and looked up at Alex and Joanna who jumped away from each other.

"What are you doing?" Alex asked them as they shuffled across the floor.

"Uh … we were just going to give each other makeovers. Don't mind us." They ran out of the room.


	23. November Rain

November Rain

* * *

Joanna knew what Alex was doing in his room the day she came home from school and she knew he was thinking of her while he was doing it. Alex P. Keaton was sure that Joanna Davis was not that dense when it came to sex and boys and all of that. If not she wouldn't have thought of getting the chair or the glass to listen more. What was she trying to hear? What did she think was going on? The thought that Joanna was listening in, at first made him infuriated to the point where he could not even speak. But afterwards Alex felt an arousal that he never felt before—the thought that she was still listening even when he forbade her not to. Perhaps he wanted her to now. Afterwards at night Alex would leave the door slightly open so Joanna could sneak out of the room and peak in at him. He liked thinking she was watching him while he did it. Joanna liked the thought of being caught while she was listening in. She would lean back against the wall, holding her robe across her bosom and watching for any jerking hand movements through the crack of Alex's door as she tried to peer through the darkness.

Alex would turn towards his nightstand and look for a pair of knobby knees peaking out by the doorway. This time he saw a sexy silhouette across one side of the wall illuminated by the moon. He watched this dark figure as it moved slightly in place and he smiled and closed his eyes and called out her name, whispering out. _"Joanna."_

Joanna got up and walked to the bathroom when she heard Andy crying out for Elise and turned the water on as if to say that she had been in there the whole time.

Alex closed his eyes and went to sleep.

One night Joanna was sleeping in her bed and she woke from her sleep to open her window to feel the cool breeze caress her face. She heard Alex rustling in the hallway. "Oh woe is me!" Alex got out and pounded the side of her wall. Elise had just heated up formula for Andy and was walking up the stairs and tested it on her arm to make sure it wasn't too hot.

"Alex what are you doing up? It is 3:00 in the morning." She said to him as he sat there against Joanna's door.

"I don't know. I can't sleep I guess."  
"Well why don't you make some hot chocolate or something and get back to sleep. You're going to wake up Joanna."

"Alright." Alex said. Elise went to feed Andy. Alex went into his room to get his tape recorder and sat outside in the hallway. It started playing November Rain. He sang along to it.

_"And if we take the time to lay it on the line__  
__I could rest my head just knowin' that you were mine, all mine__  
__So if you want to love me then darlin' don't refrain__  
__Or I'll just end up walkin' in the cold November rain_

_Don't ya think that you need somebody?_  
_Don't ya think that you need someone?_  
_Everybody needs somebody."_

Joanna had gotten up from bed and opened her door to peak out at Alex for a moment as he gotten up and was just about to reach his door. Alex looked back at her; she smiled at him through the opening of her doorway and left her door open and went back to her bed.

Moments later as Joanna lay there; she saw the shadow of a man standing in her room watching her as she slept. She watched as he walked toward her window and sat there on her landing, looking up at the moon and feeling the breeze shift through his hair. Joanna turned over in her bed so she was facing Alex as he sat there. He watched as her nightgown hung loosely off of her and the breeze moved the hair back and fourth across her face. Alex moved over towards her and ran his fingers across her shoulder and arm and kissed the side of her face gently. She heard him unzip his pants as he bent down to grab tissues from her box on the night stand. He gripped himself in one hand sitting on the edge of her bed and ran his fingers through her hair with the other.

The next morning Alex was sitting at the kitchen and he looked tired as he rested his head on his hand. Joanna came into the kitchen to make herself some coffee.

"Joanna - did I walk into your room in the middle of the night?" Alex asked her.  
"I don't know." Joanna said. "If you did, I was asleep and wasn't unaware of it."  
"I think I've been sleep walking."  
"_More like sleep kissing."_ Joanna muttered under breath.  
"Huh?" Alex looked up. "Did you say something?"  
"Nah." She shrugged. "You want coffee? You look like you need it."  
"Sure."

Elise walked in the kitchen holding Andy followed by Jen.  
"He was singing November Rain outside in the hallway, mom." Jen said. "It woke me up."  
"Alex seems a little stressed lately. He gets like this when he is overworked. I'll tell him to calm down with the late night studying."

"You need a break, Alex. You're sleep walking outside in the hallway and singing tunes from Guns and Roses." Elise said.

"Mom I'm fine. I'll be fine. I just have a lot on my mind." Alex looked up at Joanna as she sat there eating a Bostoncrème donut. The crème was oozing out of the side of it. Alex watched her closely as she licked it.

"Jo, must you eat it like that?" Alex asked.  
"Like what?"  
"Like that." He said.

Joanna shrugged and then let the crème drip on her finger.  
"Like _this_?" She asked sucking her finger.

Alex ran his hands through his hair.  
"I can't take anymore of this." He got up from the table and left the room.


	24. Something of an End

Something of an End

* * *

Alex was studying for several tests and convinced Mallory to obtain diet pills to help him stay awake. As he becomes more and more hyper and irritable, his dependency on the pills increases; everyone in the house becomes concerned about Alex's erratic behavior. Elise asked if Alex was feeling alright and that lately he seemed hyperactive. Alex explained that what everyone was seeing was simply just his natural boyish exuberance. "I just worry about you, that's all." Elise tells him.  
"Ah, Mommy," Alex jumps down off the island and kisses her, "nothing to worry about."

When Alex asked Mallory if she had more pills from her friend Effi, she told him that she did, but was not going to give him anymore. He should be able to study without them and she told him that he was acting very weird since he has been taking them. Alex gets so desperate that he grabs Mallory's purse and begins searching through it for the pills himself. "That's mine give it back!" Mallory yelled at Alex and reached for her bag. "In a second Mallory, in a second."

"Alex you have no right to do this!" She screamed out. Alex extracted the pills and gives the purse back to Mallory. "Thanks." 

"Don't ever speak to me again." Mallory told him. 

"Oh lighten up will ya?"

During the course of the week, Alex gets more and more tired and realizes that he needs more pills from her. After snapping at Elise and Jennifer in the living room, Elise grounds him for speaking to them rudely and tells him to clean the kitchen and living room. After Elise and Jennifer went up the stairs to finish the program they were watching, Mallory had entered the room and Alex had begged her for more pills, but she reminded him that they still were not on speaking on terms and she was not giving him more pills.

"Mallory, what do you want from me, you want an apology? Okay all right I'm sorry. How about money? I have money. How much do you want?"

Mallory walked up the stairs without saying another word to him.

Joanna comes into the room. Alex turned to look at her.

"Ah … Joanna, you're just the person I've been looking for."

He put his hand on her shoulder. "I uh need to ask you for a favor."

"What is it?"

"You friends with Effie?

"Effi Blatz?"

"Yeah. That's the one."

"We have lunch together every day."

"Well could you do me a favor and ask her for some more diet pills? I really need them. She's been giving them to Mallory for me, but Mallory won't give me them."

"Alex … Mallory told me about the pills. And she said you've been acting really weird."

"No, Joanna. No. I've not been weird. I'm fine. I just need them to get by this week and then I am done. Finished. I promise. Could you please ask Effi for me?"

"I shouldn't even be talking to you right now. Mallory told me you'd probably turn to me as last resort."

"No Joanna. Have I ever asked you for everything before?"

"No."

"Just please do this for me. I'll do anything for you. Anything. I just need you to help me with this, this one time. Please."

"Alex you are addicted."

"No I'm not."

"I know."

"What do you know about drugs? You don't know anything." He told her.

"I don't know anything Alex? Where do you think my mom is? If she is not doped up, she is trying to kill herself. Alex, don't tell me that I don't know what drugs do to people. I know. She cannot function with out them, but you don't need them. Don't mess yourself up."

"Joanna, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. But I am telling you the truth. I am not going to get addicted. I promise."

"I can't do this, Alex."

"Joanna. Who went with you to see your mother last month? Was it Mallory? Was it my father or Jennifer? Or Skippy? Who was it? It was me. Me. I was here for you when you found out your brother passed away … I was here for you when you needed someone to go see your mother. After everything I've done for you, you can't do this one thing for me?"

"Alex … I'm sorry. But no I can't."

She ran up the stairs.

Alex walked over to the phone at that moment. "Hello Effi, yeah it's Alex, so, where you been hiding yourself?"

The following day, Joanna had come home from school and walked into her room. She saw Alex rummaging through her belongings. Even after Alex had gotten more pills from Effi, he still was destined to find the others that Mallory had.

"Where are they? Where are the rest of them? I bet Mallory hid them in your room. I bet she did." Alex was in frenzy.

"Alex what are you doing?" Joanna stood there watching as he dug through her top drawer throwing all her bras and underwear on the floor. "Alex you're making a mess! Get out! Get the hell out of my room!"

He opened her other drawers and looked through them and pulled out more of her clothes and flung them.

"Alex this is insane!"

"I need them! Mallory where are they?"

"Alex, I am Joanna. I'm not Mallory."

"I know who you are Joanna. I'm not an idiot."

"You're not an idiot – you're worse than that. You're a crazed idiot."

He opened her closet and looked up on the top shelf and started to throw boxes down onto floor.

"Alex, stop it! Just get out! Nothing is in here!"

"You and Mallory are in on this together. I know it."

"Believe what you want Alex. Just get out of my room."

"No. I am not leaving until I find what I need."

He reached to look under her mattress and tore off the blankets and sheets. Joanna had enough. She started to take her books off her nightstand and shelf and flung them at him. The first missed and just hit against the wall.

"Ow!" Alex yelled as Moby Dick came crashing into his ankle. "Was that necessary, Joanna?"

"Yes it was."

"Really – ironic Jo. Moby Dick?"

"Right now that's what you are." She told him.

"Its bitches like you that make me the way I am."

She threw another book at him. It hit his shoulder.

"Go ahead - throw all of your books at me Jo. I dare you. Go ahead. Do it!" Instead of Joanna throwing another book at him, she walked up and slapped him across the face. Alex was stunned for a moment and stared at her as she backed up from him.

Turned on by her aggressive behavior, Alex smiled at Jo for a moment and walked up to her—Joanna went to slap him again, but he blocked her hand. From there they wrestled around for a minute or two, until Alex was on top of her, pinning her hands above her head. They stayed like that for a few moments, staring at each other as they panted slightly from exertion.

"Get off me Alex!" She cried out.

Alex covered her mouth with his and started to kiss her passionately.

Joanna was struggling under him. He ripped her shirt and undid her pants.

"No. No. Alex. Don't."

"Don't kid yourself." Alex told her. "You want this as much as I do."

"Alex … please. Please. Stop."

He kept kissing her and holding her in place on her bedroom floor so she couldn't move.

"Joanna please." He begged her.

"Alex." Joanna felt his overwhelming feeling take over her. "Don't."

"Don't fight it." He told her. Joanna looked into Alex's eyes. He kissed her mouth and reached down and felt the hardness of her nipple growing between his fingers. He pulled down the strap of the tank top so that he could see her breasts and hold them. He lowered his mouth to her breast.

"No. No. Alex." She begged.

Alex disregarded her pleads or stopped when he felt the wetness of her tears as they reached his face. He pulled off her pants and positioned her so he was able to plunge into her overheated body and drove into her hard, trusting over and over. Joanna yelled out, screamed. "No! No!"

Alex came, spurting deep into her body. They lay, panting for many minutes. Joanna eventually pulled herself away from Alex and sat on the edge of the bed. She was crying. Alex touched her shoulder. She flinched from him.

"JO?" He looked around at the mess he made in her room and looked at her sitting there with a ripped shirt and torn pants. What did he do? What had just happened? "Jo I'm sorry." He told her. "I'm sorry." He went to hold her.

Joanna stood up from the bed and walked into the bathroom.

A moment later she came back into the room, Alex was sitting there on the bed. She started to clean up the mess in her room.

"Joanna? Do you want me to help you clean this up?" Alex asked.

She shook her head as tears fell down her face again. Jennifer came walking into the room and looked around.

"Jesus guys, what happened in here? It looks like a tornado hit."

"Everything is fine." Joanna said wiping her eyes and blowing her nose. "I just had a fight with my clothes that's all. Can't decide what I wanted to wear. Alex was just helping me clean up."

"Mallory has a fight with her clothes every morning." Jen said. "I understand completely where you are coming from. Well I'm going to help mom with dinner downstairs. If you need me to help you, just holler."

"Thanks Jen."

Jennifer left the room.

"Joanna, are you ok?" Alex asked her.

"I'm bleeding Alex."

"Jo – jesus, I'm sorry. I didn't know that you were you – that this was your first."

Joanna stopped Alex from continuing.

"It doesn't matter Alex. What matters is that you get help for whatever problem you have now, because you are a mess and I can't deal with it."

"You shouldn't have to Joanna." He told her.

"Alex, can you do me a favor?"

"Yes anything." Alex said.

"Just get out of my sight right now."

Joanna turned away from him and started to pick up her clothes. Alex left the room.

Joanna sat at the dinning table refusing to make eye contact with Alex. Alex just watched her closely as she stayed lowered over her plate. "Jo … Jo …. Jo? Jo? Jo? Joanna? Joanna, Joanna, Joanna?" He called her name. "Joann? Jonnie? Josie? Jackie? Sis? Friend? Foe? Snowhite?"

"WHAT?" She finally looked up agitated. Alex smiled at her.

"Nothing. I just wanted to say hi."

Joanna rolled her eyes and started to eat.

The anticipation was teetering Alex to get Joanna's attention again. He looked for the nearest thing he could use to start a conversation with her.

"Hey Joanna …. Would you like some more string beans?"

"No Alex."

"How about another piece of chicken?" He showed her.

"No."

He ran and jumped up beside her on the dinning room table. Mallory looked nervously at her brother and then back at her parents to see if they noticed his erratic behavior.

"Alex, the table is for eating. Not sitting." Steven explained to him.

"I know dad. I just need to propose something important to Joanna."

"Could it wait till after desert?"

"Hey Jo, I've been thinking that maybe after I pass these exams, I'll go and run for president… would you like to be first lady?"

"Alex the first lady is your wife." Jen told him with a cackle.

"Well if Jo doesn't want to be first lady, she can be my secretary or vice president. I think by time I become president women would regularly be in office." He said back to her.

"I'm not talking to you Alex." Joanna said.

"Come on Jo." Alex lightly punched her shoulder.

"I'm still not talking to you, Alex." Joanna said.

"Alex, stop messing around and eat your dinner." Elise told him. "Before I stop talking to you as well."

"Well maybe in 30 years when I run for president, you'd talk to me then?" Alex said to Jo. "Hopefully." Alex sat to eat his dinner.

That night after Steven found out that Alex was taking amphetamines to get through the week, he explained that he was messing around with something that he knew nothing about. When Alex over slept and never made it to school to take the final, he swore that he thought he could handle it.

Alex collapsed into his filing cabinet. "I never oversleep Never, never. I have one of those  
internal clock radios."

"Speed is like that Alex it'll keep you up for a while but when you crash, uh you crash hard."

"I thought I could handle it."  
"Well look at how you're handling it you're on your knees rummaging through the garbage looking for someone else's diet pills." Elise told him.  
"I guess I've had finer moments." Alex reconsidered.  
"You know how you feel like now." She asked.  
"Yeah."  
"Don't ever forget it."  
"Believe me, I wont." Alex said.

Jennifer entered the room next.  
"Something going on here I should know about?" She asked curiously.  
"Yeah, yeah, I was just apologizing to Mallory for treating her badly and uh you too Jennifer for um being such a creep all week." Alex hugged Jennifer but  
Jennifer is amazed at these occurrences and just looks stunned as if Alex is cracking up.  
_"Am I on Candid Camera?" _She asked.

Alex had promised he would never take any drug ever again and apologized to his parents, Jennifer and Mallory for being such a creep the whole week. He realized though that there was one person in that house that hadn't accepted his apology yet, but he promised himself that he would do everything he could to make things right between the two of them.


	25. Someone Once Told Me

Someone once told me

* * *

"Joanna can you please listen to me?" Alex followed her around through the house.

"Are you following me?" Joanna looked at him over her shoulder.

"Will you stop moving for just a second please?" He pleaded as they walked through the kitchen and then to the living room.

"Alex what do you want?" Joanna finally turned around to face him.

"We haven't spoken in a month. I need to say something to you."

Joanna waited.

"Fine."

"I'm sorry about what happened last month in your room."

"Ok." Joanna said. She turned around wand walked up the stairs to her room and shut the door.

"That's it? That's all you have to say about it?" Alex stood there and knocked the back of his head against the wall and ran his fingers through his hair nervously; he was trembling. He sat on the couch clutching his face and wiped the tears in the corners of his eyes. "I want things to be back to the way things were."

"Don't look at being alone as the absence of other people, but as the presence of yourself. If you're happy in your head then solitude is blessed and you're okay." —Tanya Davis

"When I think of people choosing to be alone out of fear of being hurt, it just makes me feel awful. Sometimes people need to know that you are just there for them—that they are on your mind, But what if they don't want to hear it? What if every time you try to tell them how you feel, they shut you off as if there is a light switch on the wall?"

"Maybe you can tell her while she is sleeping, that way you can get out what you have to say and she will have no choice to listen because she is asleep."

Alex tried it.

"Jo I don't know if you can hear me, but my doctor said that this would be easier for me and since nothing else worked, I'm going to give it a try. I need you to listen. I haven't always been the greatest friend to you. But I just want you to know - No matter who is in my life, no matter what I do, I will always care about you. I know you don't believe me, but it's true." Alex ran his hands through her hair and kissed her face gently. "I just wanted to say that. That's all I have to say now."

He left her room.

"So what happened?" The doctor asked him.

"She was asleep. I spoke. I left the room." Alex leaned his chair. "But the next day she just went on like nothing happened, but I couldn't expect much. She was asleep."

"Is she hostile?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, does she outwardly make it known that she is angry at you over what had happened while you were taking the speed Alex?"

"No. I mean she never even told my parents about it. I was worried that she would have told them and then it would have been even worse for me. I could have been put in jail. It wasn't actually like it was consensual between the two of us. It just sort of happened at the spur of the moment."

"But she doesn't seem angry about it?"

"No … she just doesn't talk to me. We used to be close and talk about a lot of things, about her past, her mother, her father, her writing. Ronald Regan."

"Tell me about her past."

"Joanna came to live with us because she was abused in her past by her father. My mother is close with her mother, but her mother is in the hospital for dementia. Joanna had no body until we came into her life. She lost her brother in a jeep accident almost a year ago. He was in the army."

"I'm sorry to hear that." The doctor said.

"Yeah that was a really rough time. I think Joanna looks up to me with a lot of things. I'm like the only thing she has a brother right now. I stand up for her, you know. I just feel that I have to. If I don't like a guy she is talking to, I'll tell her she isn't good enough for her. She'll get mad of course and tell me to butt out but in the end she'll tell me that I was right. I even punched my English teacher in the mouth for talking badly about her and making fun of her abuse. I just snapped."

"Alex, are you in love with Joanna?"

Alex's face turned ghostly white and he looked like he was going to pass out.

"Are you alright Mr. Keaton?"

"I uh … I think I need some water." He got up and poured himself a glass and sat back down.

"It wasn't a rhetorical question." The doctor began again.

"You asked if I was IN love, doc. I love a lot of things. Money being one of them and making a lot of it. Nixon another. Ronald Regan. My younger brother. My sisters. My mom and dad. They are all very important to me."

"I didn't ask if you were in love with Nixon or Ronald Regan, Alex. I asked if you loved Joanna."

"Alright. And I just told you that I loved my family and since Joanna is apart of my family of course I love her. If I didn't, I mean I wouldn't be trying to so hard to win her trust back, you know. If I hurt any members of my family or even just a friend, I would do anything to make it right with that person. Even if it was a lost cause I wouldn't give up. I would try till the day I died. I just want to express how I feel. I don't know what to say. Tell me what to say."

"Try putting your thoughts into a poem."

Alex was outside reading out something on a crumpled piece of paper. "There are so many words I cannot say, when I look into your eyes. " Alex said. Alex looked stumped and ran his hands through his hair. "Oh man – I can't do this."

"What is he doing?" Mallory and Jennifer looked out the window.

"I think he's writing poetry." Jennifer said. Mallory laughed hysterically.

"What's going on?" Elise came into the living room.

"Alex is writing poetry." Mallory said. "I think he's in love."

"How adorable." Elise said.

Alex came into the living room from the front door.

"Nice poem Alex."

"Shut up Mallory." He ran up the stairs to his room, put on low acoustic music and began writing again.

"Alex has written a poem and has agreed to read it out in front of class." Mr. Tedesco said. "Is it going to be to be Ronald Regan or perhaps another favorite president of yours?"

"No not this time." Alex kind of smirked and then cleared his throat. "This Poem is titled: Someone Once Told Me by Alex P. Keaton.

_"Someone once told me that_

_A life is changed in just an instant's time,_  
_All darkness flees before that brilliant sun_  
_That shines from spoken words of softest rhyme_  
_And speaks of treasures, only just begun._

_This mystic meeting gives my heart a glow_  
_that few have seen and only a few will know_  
_That you will always smile but in your eyes your sorrow shows._

_Just give me the chance to take_  
_this pain away. Just give me the chance to say how sorry_

_I am for what I did to you. And how I wish things_

_Could just go back to the way things used to be._

_Alex continued._

_"Someone once told me, that even while sleeping_  
_If you listen really closely, when I speak_

_You will hear the truth in my words."_

It was a beautiful poem, but was it really about her?  
Just that moment Alex walked up to her desk and stood in front of her placing his hands down on it.

"Just give me a chance." He read off the last line of the poem.

Joanna jumped up leapt over two rows of desk and jetted out of the classroom.

Along the way she had bumped into Skippy and tripped over his foot and her purse opened up and all belongings came out. She hurriedly tried to clean it up. Skippy bent down to help.

"Joanna, I'm sorry."

Joanna couldn't catch her breath.

"Are you ok? What happened?"

"I uh. I uh." She stuttered. "Alex read a poem out in class!" She finally got out.

Skippy saw how distressed Joanna seemed.

"It was that bad?" He could only get out.

Joanna started to cry then. Skippy looked up as he saw Alex running down the hallway.

"JO!" Alex called out. Joanna looked up, grabbed the rest of her stuff and headed down the hallway.

At dinner Joanna sat in silence.

"So how did you do on the poem, Alex?" Elise brought up.

"I heard you read it out in front of everybody." Mallory smirked.

"Yeah I did." He said to Mallory. "I got an A, mom to answer your question."

"Well that's good." Elise considered.

"What was the poem about?" Mallory asked.

"It doesn't matter."

"Can I read it later?"

"Mallory, do you mind – I'm trying to eat here." Alex said.

"Sorry." Mallory shrugged.

The following day during breakfast Alex came into the kitchen – he didn't discuss the poem but handed Joanna a box of her favorite cereal. "They had Boo Berry on sale. I bought it for you."

"Uh thanks. I guess. I'd eat some, but I'm on the way out."

"Well before you go. I'd like to talk to you."

"Alright."

"Listen to me I am sorry about what happened – I never meant to hurt you. I just want you listen to me. Just listen to me once. Just hear me. Please talk to me."

"I'm fine Alex. I'm not hurt. I was angry, yes. But hurt no. It never hurts from other people." Joanna admitted.

"It never hurts from other people? That's not true. Joanna, I know people have hurt you. Don't lie about it."

"I can't admit when I hurt."

Joanna turned away form him. Alex tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention again. She looked at him.

"Suppose you admitted that you hurt." Alex replied. "What would happen?" Joanna thought about this for a while and shrugged.

"Then I'd...just disappear." She told him.

"I will never hurt you again. I promise." Alex told her.

"Promises can be broken Alex. I never promise anything but I can be honest about how I feel."

"Then be honest. Say whatever you want. I deserve anything." He told her.

Joanna faced him.

"I don't want anything to do with you Alex."

Alex fell to his knees at that moment and holds on to her and cries against her.

"God. Please don't make this any harder for me." He begged her.

Jen had walked into the kitchen and looked at the two of them.

"I uh was just going to have some cereal – but I can get it later if the two of you are busy."

Alex was sobbing. Jen raised and eyebrow and walked out of the room.

"Alex." Joanna said feeling slightly embarrassed at his reactions but he wouldn't stop crying and he wouldn't let her go. Joanna caressed his face lightly and then ran her hands through his hair.


	26. Déjà vu

Déjà vu

* * *

Alex came into the kitchen holding his cd player in his hand and singing along to a rocking roll song playing from his headphones.

_"I used to love her, but I had to kill her! I used to love her but I had to kill her, I knew I'd miss her, so I had to keep her. She's buried right in my back yard!"_

"That's good to know Alex." Mallory told him. "So when the FBI comes looking for a missing girl, I'll just tell them that my buried her."

"It's a Guns & Roses song." He told her. "Guns and Roses were the epitome of rocking and roll."

"I always preferred The Rolling Stones or Van Halen." Jennifer said.

"Jennifer you don't know what you are missing." He said. "Alright … time for the next track." Alex started to play it for everyone to hear.

"Oh this is a pathetic song." Jen said.

"How is this pathetic?"

"I can't live …when living is without you ….. I can't live …?"

"Jennifer it is about a guy who realizes he can't live without his one true love." Mallory told her.

"It's nauseating." Jen replied.

Joanna was washing the dishes.

"I sort of have to agree with Jennifer." Jo added. "I get a bit queasy listening to this song as well."

"I actually think it's kind of touching." Alex told Joanna.

"Touching?" Jo chuckled. "What's touching about a man whining about being in love?"

"How do you know what he is feeling? Have you ever been in love? Have you ever been touched by a moment?"

"Not while he's singing." Joanna told him.

Mallory chuckled to herself.

"Well if that's the case …" Alex walked up to Joanna and pressed the play button to sing to her all dramatically.

_"No I can't forget this evening or your face as you were leaving…"_ Alex started to sing to her.

"OK now I'm leaving." Joanna said.

Alex followed her as she ran out of the room and continued to sing to her.

"_But I guess that's just the way the story goes, you always smile but in your eyes your sorrow shows Yes it shows …. __I can't live If living is without you I can't live I can't give anymore I can't live If living is without you I can't give I can't give anymore!"_

ALEX! SHUT UP!" Joanna yelled at him.

Alex walked into the kitchen following after Joanna who put ear plugs in her ears.

"You make fun of me for getting teary eyed over Bryan Adams or Air Supply, but you go and get all sentimental over Tina Turner and all her Deep Rivers and high Mountains." Alex told Joanna as she had her back to him.

She turned around and looked at him and took out her ear plugs.

"Oh were you saying something?" Joanna looked at him.

"Yeah I was." Alex said.

"What was that?"

_"No I can't forget this evening or your face as you were leaving…But I guess that's just the way the story goes."_ Alex started to sing to her again.

Joanna ran out of the house.

"Noooooooo!"

Later that day as everyone stood in the kitchen, Skippy knocked on the back door.

He came in with the mail again.

"Skippy do you always bring in the mail to give a reason to talk to me?" Mallory pointed out.

"Just about." He shrugged.

"I'm still not going out with you Skip." Mallory filed her nails.

"I know." He said. He walked towards Joanna. "Here's a letter for you."

She took the envelope and opened it up slowly.

"Skippy?" She looked up at him.

"Yes?"

She fainted.

For a minute or so they stood around her trying to wake her up.

"Joanna, are you okay? Can you hear me? Joanna, are you there?" Alex slapped her face a few times.

"Not so hard, Alex." Mallory told him. "You might give her brain damage."

"Maybe she's dead." Skippy said.

"She's not dead, she's still breathing, you idiot." Jen told him. "She just fainted."

"Well I don't know." Skippy shrugged. "I never met anybody who fainted before."

"Maybe she made a bad mistake and looked at your face." Jen told him.

"Cool it guys." Mallory told them. "Alex, read the letter. Maybe this had something to do with it."

He opened it and looked it over.

"What's it say?" Mallory asked.

"You've been pre approved for a credit card. Yeah … I get kind of light headed myself whenever I get one of these in the mail." Alex replied.

"She's waking up." Mallory noted.

Joanna opened her eyes and looked at everyone.

"What happened?"

"You fainted." Jen told her.

"Do you remember what happened before that moment?" Mallory asked.

Joanna had tears in her eyes.

"For a moment I thought I was reliving when I found out Jake passed away. It was like déjà vu. All over again."

"Joanna, its Jakes anniversary." Mallory looked at the calendar.

"I think I need to lie down for a while." Joanna said. She went up to her room.

Saturday morning, Alex was having coffee and toast for breakfast. Joanna came in with her robe on and slippers and walked over to the fridge to open it up.

"Sleep well?" Alex asked her.  
"So so."  
"You gave us a pretty big scare yesterday when you fainted."  
"Yeah I get a bit emotional over being pre approved for credit cards. It's a common occurrence." Joanna joked. "I can't believe it's been a year already, you know?"

"Yeah." Alex agreed.

There was a knock on the door just that moment.

Alex walked over to it and opened it up.

"Can I help you with something sir?" He asked.

Joanna was standing, leaning against the counter. She turned around and looked at the two gentlemen.

"Are you Steven Keaton?"

"No I am Alex p. Keaton. Steven is my father. Neither are my parents are home. They are away. Can I help you with something?"

"Does a Joanna Davis live here?"

"That would be me." Joanna said and walked over towards them. "And you are?"

"We are your father's lawyers, Miss Davis. Unfortunately neither Elise or Steven Keaton have any right to keep you here. Your father requested us to speak on his behalf and he has a right to take you back home."

"What?" Joanna couldn't believe what she was hearing. "He has rights? What about my rights? Don't I have a right to live in a proper home environment? You have no idea what that man has put me through, what he put my mother through."

"I'm sorry, Joanna. I understand how this is hard for you, and I am sure The Keatons are great people but they didn't go through the courts to get rights to you. Technically by law you are not supposed to be staying with The Keatons, because you are not a true Keaton. In order for you to be allowed to stay here, Steven and Elise would have to file for guardianship and that could take a while and by that time you would be an adult so there isn't any point to it."

"You have no right to take her." Alex glared at them. "And you are not taking her."

"Technically by law we have every right, Mr. Keaton."

"What judge in their right mind would make a 16 year old girl go live with an abusive, alcoholic? Seriously you tell me." He asked.

"He wouldn't, Mr. Keaton. That is why he ordered Mr Davis to a rehab and anger management months ago. He made these steps in order to gain rights to Joanna back and he promised he wouldn't drink anymore."

"You don't know my father obviously." Joanna said. "He was a happy drunk. He hit me when he was sober."

"I am sorry for the way things have to be. If it was up to us we would let you stay, but blood is blood and family is family and when it comes to the law, that is just the way it is."

"You can stick the law up your gazebo." Alex told him. "Cause you are not taking her."

"I have the paper work here for your parents. I am going to leave them right here, son." He placed them on the island. "We suggest you start packing Miss Davis. In a week we are going to be back and this time with the proper authority."

Joanna wiped tears from her eyes and ran out of the kitchen sobbing.

"You're not taking her!" Alex yelled out again. "Get out of my house before I call the proper authorities." Mallory and Jennifer walked into the kitchen with confused looks on their faces.

"What's going on Alex?" Jennifer asked.

The lawyers turned to walk out.

"Good day, Mr. Keaton. Sorry for taking up so much of your time."

"Yeah don't let the door hit you on the way out." Alex replied and slammed the door on them. He turned quickly around and slammed his hand on the counter.

"Dammit!"

"Alex is everything alright?" Mallory asked.

"No everything is not alright, Mallory." Alex told her. "Those men were Mr. Davis's lawyers."

"What did they want?"

"They want to take Joanna home to live with her father."

"They can do that?" She looked shocked.

"It is the law." He jumped up and sat on the counter.

"I don't want Joanna to live with that mean grouchy old man." Jennifer winced.

"Neither do I." Alex said.

"What are we supposed to do?" Mallory asked.

"Well we need to think about a plan." Alex said. "A way to go around the legal system."

Alex is in the kitchen with mallory, Jennifer, Nick and Andy and is saying "If she is not a Keaton, how can she become a Keaton?"

"Well to become a Keaton, you'd have to marry a Keaton." Nick said.

And Alex turns to him and said, "Nick, for once in your life you said something brilliant."

"I wasn't being serious."

"Alex you are not considering this as an option?"

Alex was silent.

"You are going to ask Joanna to marry you Alex?"

"Alex this is crazy. Mom and dad is never going to live this one down."

"Well, we don't have any other options now do we?"

"I knew a guy named Peter that kept his wife in a pumpkin shell and there he kept her very well. Maybe you can put Jo in a pumpkin shell." Nick added.

Alex spits out his orange all over the counter.

"And when he has brilliant moments - he then contradicts them by saying things like that."

Alex grabbed a paper towel and wiped his chin and the counter. "Good one Nick."

" Nick, that is a rhyme. It wasn't true." Jen told him.

Nick looked shocked. "Peter lied to me."

Mallory rubs his back.

Mallory: It's ok. *she comforts him.*

Joanna walks in the kitchen.

"Joanna I need to ask you something or more like I need to tell you something." Alex said.

"What?"

" Whatever you do. Don't say yes."

Alex walked up to Joanna got down on one knee, took her hand in his and said:

"Joanna, we got to get married."

"Is this a joke?"

Alex stood up.

"No it's not, Jo." Alex said. "It's either this or you start packing your bags. So what do you say we get hitched in Las Vegas? My parents aren't going to be home till next weekend. It will work. You heard what they said – the lawyers, you're not a Keaton – and they have a right to take you out of here – if my father can't get the rights for you to be Keaton, I have the ability to make you one – at least until you are 18 and then you can have it annulled or whatever. But they can't force you to live with him by law if we're married."

"Ugh …. I can't even hear the word marriage without cringing." Joanna said.

"I can't imagine marriage and my brother in one sentence without cringing." Mallory remarked with a disgusted look.

"We just need consent from one adult and I'm sure Marie would say yes." Alex told her.

"Of course she'd say yes, Alex. She is half out of her mind." Joanna told him.

"Ok so what is your answer? Yes or no?"

Joanna wouldn't respond.

"Joanna. If you don't say yes, I'll tie you up, throw you over my shoulder and take you to Las Vegas myself."

"I'm not marrying you Alex!" Joanna said in a huff and ran out of the living room.

"Alright Nick – we have some rope in the basement. I'm going to need some help."

"With what? What do you need rope for?" He asked him.

"Uh I don't know – I've decided to take rock climbing as a hobby. I thought maybe I could practice on the side of the house." Alex said sarcastically.

"Really? I always wanted to try that."

"He wants the rope to tie Joanna up and take her to Las Vegas, Nick." Jennifer said.

"This is really ridiculous." Mallory said. "Mom and dad are going to flip."

"I am not thinking about what is going to happen to me, whether I am punished for a month or eternity. I just can't live with myself if I let those men take Jo back to her father and something bad happens to her. I won't be able to live with the guilt. Just let me help her. It is for her own good."

Mallory took a deep breath.

"Fine."

Nick shrugged.

"Ok let's get started on that rock climbing."

Alex barged into her room with Nick.

"Alex!" Joanna yelled.

They gagged her, tied her up and Alex took her out of the room lugging her over his shoulder like a giant Christmas present.

Elise and Steven come home.

"Where is your brother?"

No one says anything.

"Where is he?" She demands.

Jen said. "He ran off with Joanna to get married at the Justice of the Peace so the mean men can't take her away to live with her father."

"WHATTTTT?" Elise basically faints and Steven catches her before she hit the ground.

"STEVEN!" Elise was being fanned by both Mallory and Jennifer. "Our son is getting married in Las Vegas. What are you going to do about it?"

"Well I am not going to drive up to Las Vegas. I have to wait till they get home Elise."

"You're not going to drive up there? Well who is going to stop the wedding?"

"Ok I'll fly there, Elise." Steven told her. "Does that make it any easier on you?"

"Not really."

"If you know any instant air lines – let me know."

"Maybe Mallory and I could work on making a teleportation device." Jen said.

Alex and Joanna and Nick walked in at that moment.

"You are grounded for life!" Elise said. "For LIFE! Steven you handle the rest of this. I am too angry to speak. I am going to take a shower." She walked out of the room.

Nick, Mallory, Jennifer and Jo stood in the kitchen.

"Dad, it wasn't Jo's idea. It was mine." Alex said. "I basically forced her to do it. I'll take all the blame."

"Mr. Keaton I am sorry for any trouble I caused." Joanna told Steven.

"That's fine, Joanna. It's not really your fault. You are off the hook. I need to speak with my son alone."

They left them alone in the kitchen.

"Alex of all the things you could have done while we were away – throw a party till 2:00 in the morning – go sky diving – run for president – the last thing I thought was that you would run to get married." Steven said. "What possessed you to get married to Joanna? What the hell were you thinking? I thought I raised you better than that."

"I did it to help her dad. It seemed like the only reasonable solution to the problem."

"She was not your responsibility, Alex. She is ours."

"When I am the oldest and left in charge, everyone here is my responsibility. I did it because I didn't want Jo to go back home. I did it because I can't live with the guilt of knowing that there is a possibility that man has a chance to put his hands on her again. I did it because …"Alex chocked on his words. "Well, I love her dad. If you want to punish me till I am 50, by all means go a head. At least I know that she won't ever have to see that son of a bitch again."

"Was it worth it?"

"Yeah in the end it was worth it." Alex took his jacket and went to walk out of the kitchen.

"Alex wait." Steven said.

"What dad?"

"I understand your decision."

"Thank you." He said. "I knew you would." Alex walked out.


	27. Future Predictions

Future Predictions

Alex came walking into the kitchen and took a seat.

Hey Alex. How did your job interview go?" Elise asked.

"Oh it went fine." He shrugged. "Where's Joanna?"

"Oh she's out in the living room." She explained. "She came home about an hour ago. Where have you been?"

"I was out walking." Alex told her.

"Do you think you won the scholarship?" Jennifer asked.

Alex shrugged.

"Oh I dunno. It's hard to tell. It's just a scholarship. Why is winning always so important to you people?"

Joanna came into the kitchen now.

"I got the envelope." She looked nervous.

"Open it up." Elise told her.

"I'm afraid. You do it for me." She handed the envelope to her.

Alex took a seat in the corner of the room and watched them closely.

Joanna looked down at the paper in her hands. She was shaking.

"OH!" She exclaimed. "I won! They are giving me a writing scholarship!"

Everyone hugged her.

"I can't believe it." She looked the letter over.

"She beat Alex." Mallory pointed out next.

Alex smiled at Joanna.

"Hey. Congratulations Jo."

"Thanks Alex."

"We have some champagne in the basement." Steven said. "Let's go get it."

He and Elise walk out of the room with Jen and Mallory. Joanna stood in the kitchen now alone with Alex.

"Well." Alex looked at her from his chair. "This is the moment you were waiting for."

He slid his chair across the kitchen floor closer to her. "Let me have it."

Joanna looked away nervously and played with the bottom of her dress. "Oh come on Jo…" He tossed the chair away and propped himself up on the counter so that he was higher than her. "Don't hold back. Let's see some gloating."

She walked around the kitchen thinking a moment to herself.

"Well I can innocently say the reality would be that I'd never live outside of New York because I just love it too much with the exceptions of Paris and Hawaii. One day I'll write a book with some eye grabbing title that no one will buy, only to have it appear a few months later in some dingy indie book store. That would ironically would make my day. I'd secretly cackle at hipsters whenever I see them crossing the street—but I feel that they are just the same person changing disguise. I think I'd find it in my heart to love them like human beings, creatures capable, at least in theory, of great compassion, creation, and love, no matter what t-shirt they think is ironic but is actually a tribute. So I promise from now on I will love them anyway. I'll most likely rent out some shitty apartment in the city with someone I don't really know or like and cover my walls in awesome photography while living essentially, in poverty due to working only for non- profit organizations. The heat wont work and the ceiling will leak but I'll be grateful because it would be completely different than my parent's lives and that's beyond satisfying."

She started but then reconsidered. "My expectations however, would be that dingy indie book store would instead be a huge Barnes and nobles, I'd be on the best seller list, I'd have the best town house in New York, my roommates would bow down to me, and years would pass between either of _us _talking to each other, but one day you'd get up the nerve to call me and make lunch plans to catch up. You'd be waiting for me in some small café and I'd come running in breathless and say: "Look Alex my books are on the best seller list. And you'd smile; roll your eyes and mouth off some congratulation."

He laughed and folded his arms across his chest. "But I know like aka Mallory Keaton Fashion Designer _extraordinaire,_ once said that underneath that tupey of yours. - _"You'd be green with envy and completely bald."_

Alex looked at her as if she had three heads; he loosened his tie and chuckled a bit. "You listen to Mallory way too much." He reminded her. "And that's some great fantasy life you got planned there Jo." Alex slid forward off the counter and gently stepped towards Joanna with his arms clasped behind his back. He leaned forward a bit just past her ear as he spoke, "But you know what happens if you end up gloating too much?" He leaned back with a mischievous smirk.

"What?"

Alex leaned forward again to whisper, but moved his arm around the small of her back and gently stepped into her space. Letting her sudden low-key shock translate into curious passiveness, he kissed her tenderly on the lips to test the ground. Alex stepped back and looked for her reaction.

She smiled at him and they kissed again.

Steven came into the kitchen his back was turned from Joanna and Alex.

"Found it."

Alex and Joanna stopped kissing; Alex turned away nervously and ran his fingers through his hair. "Oh yeah? That's great dad. Pour me a glass." Alex said.

Elise came in with the glasses, Steven poured them for everyone.

Alex toasted.

"Congratulations Joanna."


	28. Just like Heaven

Just like Heaven

A month later it was Joanna's birthday. She didn't expect anyone to get her anything or make a big fuss over it, but it The Keaton's had something special planned for her. She was ecstatic to walk in to her very only surprise party, decorated with balloons, a banner, a cake and Skippy dressed up as a clown. She had so many presents from everyone.

It was the best sweet 16 she could ever ask for.

A few days later – Joanna looked out of her window; there were mounds of snow that lay over everything.

"How bad is it?" Alex rubbed his eyes after she noticed Joanna looking out the window.

"I wouldn't want to go out in it." She slipped away from the window and sat in the living room.

Elise called her son.

"Alex, I'm stuck at work; dad too. We have to sleep here. Jennifer is stuck at her best friends. Thank god Mallory was able to pick up Andy and head to Nicks. How are you and Joanna holding up?"

"Everything is … fine." Alex paused a moment. "Uh."

"What is it?" Elise asked.

"It just got really cold in here just a second ok. Did you pay the oil bill?"

"OH NO!" Elise slapped her forehead. "He was supposed to come today!"

"What should I do?"

"Well for now I guess just bundle up, make hot chocolate and put the fire place on."

"Alright."

Alex came out with the blankets. He handed Joanna hot chocolate.

"This'll keep you warm."

He took an iron rod and started to poke at the logs in the fire place.

"Thanks Alex." Joanna said sipping it.

Alex felt something in his back pocket.

"What's this?"

He reached in and pulled out a small box. "Oh, I almost forgot. I got you something else." Alex told her. "I had to wait a little while longer for it."

"You really didn't have to get me anything else."

"Open it."

Joanna held the small box in her hand and opened it up in front of him. She took out a locket. Inside the locket was a picture of her and her grandfather and the other side of her and Jake. Joanna sat there on the couch. She was breathless.

"Alex, it's beautiful." She stuttered for a moment. "I don't know what to say."

"You like it?"

"Alex, No one has ever given me anything this beautiful."

She hugged him and they held each other for a moment, but then they both shyly broke away.

"Thanks, Alex."

"Let me put it on you." Alex offered.

"Ok."

Joanna lifted up her soft black hair and he put it on her. She let the tresses fall down across her shoulders and it touched Alex's fingers gently. He stroked her shoulders and ran his fingers through her hair.

"Alex." She said his name.

"Yes?" He turned her towards him.

They both looked into each other's eyes for a moment longer. Alex said nothing as his head hovered a few inches above her. His hair fell down around him and tickled the bridge of her nose and cheeks. He let his other hand come up to rest on her face, his eyes never leaving hers. He just couldn't resist. Joanna tried to move her lips to say something, but found that she couldn't as she felt Alex's lips upon hers, gently caressing them with their warmth. Slowly, she closed her eyes allowing herself to be held by him.

He moved her next to the fire place and they lay sprawled out under blankets. Soon enough they had nothing else on except for the blankets. She felt his heart beating; she placed her hand on his chest.

"My heart is pounding." He whispered in her ear. She touched the side of his face and ran her fingers through his hair and watched him shake with delight. He closed his eyes and took in deep breaths and she felt a tightness inside of her as he worked his way in. She felt like his kiss was like a fire in her spine and the whole time she felt his tongue entwining in hers and the whole time she felt his arms holding her so tight, she could not move—that flame kept creeping up her back. It almost felt like it was just too much for her to take. Alex felt her body shaking and trembling—but he would not let her go, it just made him hold her tighter and kiss her harder. He plunged in deeper and deeper until she could not help to get out, "Oh god. Alex."

After they climaxed, Alex held her for a moment longer. He kissed her gently on her forehead, her nose and eyes and nuzzled her neck with his, "He said this feels just like heaven," and they fell asleep until early morning.


	29. Sailing Ships

_"Life, with its rules,  
its obligations, and its freedoms,  
is like a sonnet: You're given the form,  
but you have to write the sonnet yourself.  
What you say is completely up to you."_  
— Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time

Sailing Ships

They kept what happened between them a secret; it was something that none of his friends or family could ever understand and they were afraid that when the truth of their relationship came to light, its discovery would ruin what was so wonderful about it. Alex felt something he never felt with anyone before, not even his first time with Stephanie could measure up to the first time with Jo. Everything seemed so far away, so long ago – it was a ship that sailed away – it was long gone from the docks.

They tried not to show too much affection to each other in front of anyone, although at times they slipped up and felt the family caught a glimpse of them reaching for each other's hands across the kitchen table or saw Alex running his fingers through Joanna's hair when she brushed it in the living room on family game night; when he thought they noticed, he'd cover it up by mocking Joanna's grooming habits.

"Joanna, I'm curious. How many hours a day do you spend grooming yourself?" Alex asked her.

"Some people are not lucky enough to be as naturally adorable as you are." She replied.

Alex blushed.

"You're making him blush, Joanna." Mallory pointed out. "That's so adorable."

"Look, he's getting redder." Jen noted.

"He looks like a tomato." Andy chuckled. "I'm going to call you Mr. Alex P. Tomato."

"Stop it guys!" Alex took a pillow and covered his face.

Jen peaked at him.

"You're still red."

"Shut up."

Alex stood up from the couch momentarily.

"You guys always pick on me. I am going upstairs."

"You don't want to finish scrabble?" Andy asked.

"Another time when we don't have to play against beasts." Alex told him and left.

"I think I really embarrassed him." Joanna looked concerned.

"Ah … that was nothing." Mallory assured her. "Alex was just caught off guard."

After the game was done, Joanna decided to go up stairs and check up on Alex. As she walked past the door, he was standing there his arms folded across his chest.

"I bet you get enjoyment out of making me blush don't you?" Alex jabbed at her.

"Alex … I didn't mean." Before she could get the words out, Alex grabbed her arm and pulled her into his room. He cupped her face in his hands, looked into her eyes and then brought her closer to kiss her.

Months later Alex was following Joanna in the school's library - he had to say something to her, but she didn't want to hear him. She'd stoopped talking him for months after finding out that he was in a realtionship with Lauren and Alex was completely bothered by her hostility.

"Do you know how hard this is going to be for me when I go off to New York? It was hard enough for me dating Lauren when I had feelings for _you_. You seem to put up a front and make me think that I am imagining things, which all this animosity that you have is in my head. I try to stop, but I can't. I try to pretend nothing is there, but I can't. Why do you have to make this harder? Why can't you just be there for me?" Alex asked her.

"You want me to switch my feelings off like it's a light switch. We spend time together and do things together and we sleep with each other more than once and then the next you are telling Lauren that you want to spend the rest of your life with her and open up joint bank account or falling in love with Marty because you spent time tutoring her. That is all well and good, Alex. I can't stop you from dating, especially when we were never together in the first place."

"Joanna, you and I _were_ together."

"We just had sex."

"It was more than that."

"Your family didn't even know what was going on."

"I wouldn't say that." Alex looked nervously from her to the floor.

"You _told_ them?"

"I'm sure they knew Joanna."

"Lauren was a great girl to consider banking your life savings with. I never got in the way of your relationship with her ever. I think that you expected me to fight over you and you were disappointed that I didn't. I am not the type of a girl to fight over any guy. I mean I have enough problems to deal with. Who wants to put more problems on top of the ones that they already have? Life is too short of that type of non-sense."

"Joanna, I am not asking you to do anything. I just don't want you to forget what we had, what we meant to each other. I don't want you pretend that there was nothing between us or that I never cared about you, because that is not true. Even if you think that, I am telling you now that was never the case."

"What does it matter if I forget or not? Why do you care? I mean I am going to be off in the world, doing my own thing, living my own life, just like you are - Should I have the right to call you out of the blue and say, _"I hope you didn't forget what we had."_ Seriously, Alex – you would laugh in my face and tell me to get over it and to move on."

"No I wouldn't. I'm sorry we can't be together right now, things are just too complicated, but I don't want to loose you from my life."

"What do you want from me?"

"I want you to be able to talk to me like how we used to talk. Don't you remember those nights we stayed up to 4:30 in the morning just talking about useless things in my room? I want you to be happy when you're around me. I was still there for you when I dated Lauren. I was still there when I spent time with Marty, but you pushed me away. I am going to be moving to New York, but I still want us to be best friends."

"I can't do that."

"So what are you going to do? Just move out and never speak to me again or my family again, after everything they've done for you?"

"No I wouldn't do that. I would always remember your family and what they did for me and I will be there for them when they need me."

"But why can't you be there for me too?" Alex asked.

"Cause I don't know what you are asking of me."

"I want to be your friend."

"I don't know if I can be that for you."

"After everything I've done for you, you shouldn't just write me out of your life, Joanna."

"Why can't you just forget about me?"

"That won't ever happen."

"I'm going to count to three."

"What for?" Alex looked confused.

"On the count of three you will forget what happened between us and everything will be better."

"Joanna, I don't want to lose you."

"One. Two. Three."

"I didn't forget." Alex told her.

"I don't know why I thought that would work." She shrugged.


	30. Transatlanticism

_Transatlanticism_

Alex P. Keaton in first person.

I don't want to say I am giving up on a said dream. I may just be slowly letting one go. I know where my limitations are, and perhaps that might be half my problem. limiting myself, but most of the time I don't know what direction I'm heading in. I am constantly changing, like the wind my life sways carelessly in the realization to doubt of understanding what I want. I wake up with an ambition to do better, but I lack self discipline and specific motivation to follow through with even daily tasks. The smallest details weighs me down, and they can change the entire spectrum of my emotional state or thought. I know I cause more grief a frustration with certain people than uplifting and spending time building them up. I use criticism not for construction but to dismantle those around me. I am 17 and sometimes I don't even know how to love properly, and unconditionally. It doesn't feel like it's inside me to do this. I remain hopeful though, perhaps someday rather sooner than later I can learn and apply these vital keys to my relationships. I am far to reserved even after almost a year and half. I just want to be whole. I remember writing the other day about those I thought were born to be content and those who were born to be miserable, I still don't know where I fit into this picture. My whole life has been on both sides.

As for the first part of this entry, about realizing new dreams and keeping old ones merely as hobbies, I've decided that maybe I'm not cut out for college. I think outside the box, but maybe not enough to excel in this specific field. I love art, I love the way it opens my mind, but when it comes to art and drawing I am not gifted in doing so. I'd really like to be, but I never took art in high school so I don't even understand simple principles. I've come to learn that just because I can see differently through a lens doesn't make me photographer material. I don't have the marks to get into any school and I don't even know if I want to go there. I suppose if I tried hard enough I would have a fair shot, but like I said knowing things about photography won't be enough to impress certain people. Mallory's boyfriend, Nick ... he was an artist. He could look at the most mundane thing and see something beautiful in it. I wish I was that gifted.

I'll figure something out, I always do.

When I first heard this song, by Death Cab _Transatlanticism_ the subject matter was ironic to me; I was in the process of getting too close to a friend about to move away for six months to a year or longer; I too was moving away to New York, to start a career in banking. We both knew we would have to strike the advance, lest we get more attached to one another. In a way, I felt that the opening line described it all - I felt that before she moved away, I never gave thought to the ocean being such a vast expanse between myself and another part of the world. I took for granted the fact that there was more. if was truly as if the ocean had suddenly sprung out of nowhere. it was very upsetting because he was like a muse to me, inspirational; and I did need her closer. It just was never close enough.

But stepping outside of that scenario, and attempting a more objective approach to the song, I felt that it was something completely different. I believe the ocean he speaks of is metaphorical, and the chronology of the song expands a much greater frame than the instant that it would seem. The first hint being the mention of the perforated sphere - the earth. Perforated because there are so many gaps and holes between people living in different parts of the world. They are all isolated from one another, as if living on islands that shouldn't exist. At first people would be happy to live in their own lands, with their own cultures. They would feel free to live their lives the way that they choose: simple or fast-paced, isolated or closely-knit. But as a moat, the separation is keeping the rest of the world out, as a defense. He believes that attempts to extend friendship, or cross flooded lands, are becoming too difficult; that he as a solitary person, rowing his boat, cannot span that chasm.

A part of me still believes that there is something more personal to the song, from the obvious _"I need you so much closer..." _but it is potentially a call to _'you' _as in general. You as in Joanna.

If only I had a way I could expess to her how I feel. If only I could of told her that she was my true love.

I think the song is about a metaphorical distance instead of a physical one. I think it's apparent because the body of water keeps changing. First it's an ocean, than a lake, then a moat. If it was literal the body of water would stay consistent. I love the line "I thought it less like a lake and more like a moat." It's saying that the distance between them is something most people see has a good thing. I'm assuming playfulness creating a lack of depth. Most everyone agrees lakes are beautiful things, but to the speaker it's a moat, with the soul purpose of keeping him distant. And to fully understand this song I think you must understand Tiny Vessels. Both songs are related in thought and situation because of how smoothly they flow into each other. Even though they convey to opposite ideas, there are relations.


	31. Rain Delay

Rain Delay

Joanna had her notebook with her to jot down notes while she sat at a table. Every therapist she had so far told her that writing was the best medicine. You would write down thoughts you had a hard time telling other people. She wondered about all those writers out there and thought about whether or not they ever had to talk to someone about things because they had a hard time understanding them or because the rest of the world was too busy to listen. She sat there for nearly 10 minutes before she even noticed Alex walk in. She didn't know if was a coincidence or not and didn't really care. She learned that when you try to ignore or avoid certain people, it just makes them try even harder to get your attention. He noticed her right away of course and he walked and sat at the table.

"I asked mom where you were. I should have known you'd be at the library. It's your sanctuary. What are you doing?"

"I'm writing." She told him.

"Writing what?"

"My autobiography."

"Remember what I told you about autobiographies?"

"I don't recall."

"You don't remember? Well let me refresh your memory for you. If your autobiography reads like a book of philosophy, you did something wrong."

"Oh that." She looked directly at him for a second and then turned away while taking sips of her cinnamon latte.

"Look, I'm sorry," he said forcefully. His voice was thick and foreign. She stared at his familiar face, the soft arches of his eyebrows, the strong jaw. It was melting into something unrecognizable. "I don't want to end up as a piece of your writing. But I know that someday you're going to make a million dollars off of a story about how I broke your heart."

"You promised you wouldn't be the one to do it," She said feeling incredibly pathetic but unable to stop stumbling towards destruction.

"I tell lies sometimes," he said quietly, and looked away. "But you will forgive them." She looked closely at this boy she thought she knew, and began to think that maybe, finally, he has told her the truth.

"Joanna come on … it was a joke." He told her.

"Funny—I almost forgot to laugh."

"Well I do hope you still have a sense of humor." He closed over her notebook.

"What are you doing?" She looked up at him.

"Come on, let's get out of here. It's a nice day out. I'm leaving for New York in 3 weeks and I thought that maybe we could go to the marina, sit by the water and talk about our situation and get a bite to eat. I would like to spend some time with you."

"Why don't you spend time with Lauren? She is your girlfriend after all."

"I want to spend time with you. And Lauren is not my girlfriend anymore. We broke up on the day I graduated. You _know_ that. Can't you just put things in the past—like everybody else? Stop acting as if you are the only person that ever has problems." He told her.

The rain starting beating against the windows at that moment; it matched the steady tattoo of her heart beating against her ribcage. She wondered if he could hear it, her heart that is, not the rain. She grabbed her bag and walked out of the library; it was pouring outside. Alex walked to the door and opened it while she stood under the over hang.

"Joanna, its raining." he tells her.

"And your point is?"

She put her notebook in her bag, threw the bag over her shoulder and started to walk home.

Joanna just never understood why when it rained some people acted like they've never been wet before. She guessed she was the only one that enjoyed looking up into the sky and letting it pour down on her—a small price to pay was getting soaked, but that's no big deal, well to her at least.

"You look like a wet rat." Alex told her as she walked in the door. "I don't know why you wouldn't just let me give you a ride home. You can be so stubborn sometimes."

"Well I guess the rain delayed our plans for going to the marina didn't they, not that I wanted to go with you in the first place."

Alex looked like he wanted to choke her. He went to move closer for a moment with his hands rose up to her but then stopped himself, turned around and sat on the couch. "Sometimes Joanna, you make me want to wring your neck."

"Wring away! What do I care? That's not the first time I heard a man tell me that and I know it won't be the last. I always knew you'd strike me one day."

"You're just a ghost to me." Alex told her. "And you can't put your arms around a ghost, not even to choke it."

"That' is wonderful, Alex. Just for your information. I was not put on this earth to care about any man's disregard for me. I am done trying to be the perfect little snow white princess waiting for her prince to come wake her up from her sleep. Fairy tales are clichéd and tripe anyway."

Alex choked up tears.

"Why do you have to make this so hard?" He asked. "I just wanted to spend time with you, Joanna."

She shrugged her shoulders and walked up the stairs and grabbed a towel out of the linen closet and began to dry her hair. She always thought it looked better when it was wet.


	32. Dream Analogy

Dream Analogy

"Where's Joanna?" Alex asked his sister Mallory. "I haven't seen her all day. It's like she doesn't even live here anymore. Either that or she's just avoiding talking to me."

"Why wouldn't she want to talk to you? You're not pulling those nasty pranks on her again are you?"

"No." Alex shrugged.

"Then what's the problem?"

"Nothing. I'm just being stupid."

"That's a first."

"Well she's at the mall with Lauren." Jennifer told him.

"What?" Alex looked like he was about to be sick.

"Alex, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost." Mallory said.

"I just don't understand. Since when did they start getting so close and why is it fine for her to hang out with Lauren but she can't even take a walk to the marina to talk about our situation?" Alex blurted out.

"Alex what are you talking about? What situation?" Mallory looked confused.

"Huh?" Alex was facing the calendar on the wall and turned back to Mallory. He realized that he almost slipped up but then corrected himself. "Oh you thought I was talking about Joanna? I meant Lauren. Lauren and I still have problems."

"Oh. I understand. The ex - syndrome." Mallory smiled, nodded respectively. "You don't have to explain any further."

At the mall Joanna and Lauren sat in the food court eating sushi, drinking bubble tea and opening up about a lot of things. Lauren gave her a lot of advice especially about guys.

"I get scared away when guys tell me they love me." Joanna told her.

Lauren explained, "If you want the love of your life, you must be the love of your life."

"What do you know about dreams?" Joanna told her. "What did you learn about them?"

"I study about it a lot and analyze them. Sometimes dreaming seems like it is an easier thing to do, but the difference between reality and a dream is simple. Reality is there; it cannot be changed. With a dream, if I don't like how it is going, I can change the settings, the atmosphere—the people. I could change it into something that would make me happier. It's a place they couldn't touch me. The people in my reality always seem to shatter any hope I thought—felt—had. To them it was better to be unfettered by foolish dreams. They just had this way with ruining everything." Lauren explained. "But then I remember that no matter how much I love the dream then the reality, it is not real. I have to face the world again. The good thing about reality is that it could make certain dreams real if you want it bad enough."

"I have a lot dreams about my brother passing away and about Alex."

"What kind of dreams about Alex?"

"Loosing Alex in my dream, like finding out something bad happened to him and I wake up crying."

"Oh I can understand that. I mean he is a very important aspect to your life. He is like the annoying brother you never had and since you lost Jake you interoperate that loss with loosing Alex."

"That is it in a nutshell." Joanna considered.

"I know."

"Know what?" Joanna asked.

"About it." Lauren told her. "He really, really loves you. And I want the two of you to be happy. There is no hard feelings."

Joanna said, "I don't know what you mean."

"When he is ready, just give him that chance."

Joanna smiled uncertainly and thought a moment (but did he really want to give her that chance?)

Lauren walked in with Joanna. They both seemed to be beaming and happy.

"So how was your day shopping?"

"Great Alex. We got some good sales." Lauren told him. "We talked about dreams and Joanna really opened up to me about a lot of things going on in her life."

Alex started choking on his orange juice a little.

"Like what?

"Just loosing her brother and how hard that was for her. She told me that you are a great brother replacement to have, a little annoying but great nevertheless."

"Oh I see."

"Thanks for your advice Lauren. It was really nice talking to you. You made me feel more at ease."

"No problem. Anytime. If you need anything you know where I am." Lauren said goodnight to Alex and walked out. Alex finished the orange juice and put it in the sink.

He looked at her.

"I'm glad you were able to open up and talk to Lauren so easily."

"She gives good advice."

"Well she should. She did major in Psychology for 4 years."

"Yes she is a very good listener." Joanna considered.

"So am I. If you give me the chance, Jo."

"Some things are better left unsaid."

"The more you leave them unsaid, the more they keep on getting bottled up and you end up having an outburst at the wrong time."

"You want to know what advice Lauren gave me? _If you want the love of your life, you must be the love of your life_."

"That's amazing. Really great. I am good at giving advice too. If you always let the world set limitations for your own life you will never know what you could have accomplished or discover with your own free will. I've told you this many times before Joanna, but you don't listen to it."

"I don't need your advice, Alex."

"Fine. Don't come to me when you need help with something ever again."

Alex walked out of the kitchen.

"Maybe it would do you some good if you looked up what the term casual friend meant?" Joanna told him, not thinking he overheard.

Alex darted back into the kitchen shaking a finger at her. "That's what you _wished _it was."

"No. but it became it anyway." She explained. "And I'm over it. I'm fine really I am. I am perfectly happy with everything right now. I am being noticed by guys. I am being asked on dates and asked to go to parties all the time."

"Oh I am happy for you, really. But let me give you one solid piece of truth right here and I want you to take this to heart, as close as you could possibly take it. No matter who you find next that wants to be with you – I was the one who loved you most. Remember that."

Alex moved closer to her, but before he could reach for Joanna she ducked under him and ran towards her room.


	33. Alex P Keaton for President

Alex P. Keaton for President

Alex danced bombastically in the living room and sang into his mom's duster, while only wearing just his boxer shorts. Mallory entered unexpectedly and then snapped a picture. He looked at her after a long moment's pause.  
"You realize, of course, now I'm going to have to kill you."

"Nice picture Alex." Jennifer told him as she came into the kitchen. Jen showed everyone in the kitchen.

"You like singing into my duster on purpose?" Elise cackled.

"Ok fine. On occasion I like to dance and sing but I was doing you a favor and strengthening up the kitchen. Is it wrong to want to clean and enjoy yourself at the same time?"

"Mallory said that when you get elected for president in next 20 years she's going to publicly humiliate you with that picture." Andy Alex's younger brother came into the kitchen.

"Well at least I have something to look forward to."

Joanna walked into the kitchen a moment or so wearing a new dress. Alex looked over at her as she opened the fridge to get some orange juice. He turned to his father and replied: "You're going to let her out like that?"

Steve looked at her and said. "If you're going anywhere, I'd suggest putting something over that."

"I have a sweater to put over it."

Alex asked: "Where are you going dressed like that?"

Mallory walked into the kitchen and smiled at Joanna.

"It's amazing on you, Joanna. It's a perfect fit."

"I should have known you were the influence. Did you go shopping together or something?" Alex asked.

"No. I made it. The earrings too."

"Wow." Elise looked impressed. "That is really good sewing."

"It's really great, Mal." Jennifer told her as well.

"Thanks mom. At least someone here likes it. Alex always has to find a flaw in anything I do."

Alex said: "There's nothing wrong with the dress, Mallory. It's just ... not something you'd usual wear to school or the supermarket."

Elise told him, "Well, Joanna has a date."

"With who?" He asked.

"A few days ago Jonathan asked me out." Joanna told him.

"Who?"

Jonathan Rolland."

"My friend Jonathan?" Alex started to choke up.

"What's wrong with Jonathan?" Mallory looked confused. "I went on a date with him before plenty of times."

"Nothing is wrong with Jonathan."

"So why can't Joanna go out with him?" She insisted.

"Because I don't want her to. _Alright_?" Alex jumped up from his chair and tossed it to the side. He looked at Joanna giving her a squinty eye. "Just to let you know Jo – you are definitely not Jonathan's type. He's probably just trying to get in your pants or this occasion under your dress."

"Alex." Elise looked embarrassed. "Don't talk like that in front of Andy."

"We are going on a double date Alex." Mallory told him. "Lighten up."

"What's to lighten up about, Mallory? Jonathan is a player and you know it. I didn't even want you to go out with him."

"That's in the past, Alex. And I thought he was your friend. Why are you talking so bad about him?"

"Jonathan may be my friend, but that doesn't mean I like everything he does."

"I can handle myself." Joanna told him.

"You can't do this and respect yourself." Alex told her. "You can't."

"I'll make that decision, all right?" Joanna replied back.

Later that night after Jonathan came in and picked up Joanna and Nick came and picked Mallory up. Alex sat at the kitchen table with his father looking troubled. Steven glued pieces to his new train set.

"I think I should go to the party."

"If you feel like you should go..." Steven replied.

"You don't need me here, do ya?"

"No, no, no. I think I can manage."

"I mean, unless you want me to help you with your train set."

"The last time you helped me with my train set Alex, I ended up gluing myself to the table." Steven told him. **"**Go to the party."

"OK. I'll watch them for you."

"You do that." Steven said.

Mallory and her friend stood around drinking

"This party kind of blows." Mallory's friend Effie said.

"Yeah it does." Mallory looked sad for Joanna. "And I can't believe Jonathan blew Jo off and is like completely engaging conversation with Amber. It is so rude."

"I agree. Hey look its Alex." Effie pointed.

"I didn't even see him come in." Mallory saw her brother talking to an older looking gentlemen in a suit and tie. "But it's like he finds the only adult in here, like he's deliberately trying to not have fun."

Alex saw Mallory standing with her friend and waved to the both of them. Mal waved back.

"Hey Mallory, Effie." Alex came up to them. "How's the party?"

"Could be better." Mallory said.

"Where's Jo?" He asked. "I feel like I owe her an apology for the way I acted earlier."

"She's over there." Mallory looked over at the couch that Joanna was sitting at for a while but she wasn't there. "Well she _was_." She shrugged.

Nick came by and handed Mallory and Effie more drinks.

"A." He said. "Hey Alex, I didn't even see you come in."

"I uh … it's a height thing I guess."

"You want me to get you something to drink?" He asked him.

Alex was looking through the crowds of people. "Hold that thought." He walked past a few gruffy looking guys. "Hey …. Excuse me …. Pardon me…. coming through." A guy bumped him and dribbled a drink on his shirt. "Hey, watch the shirt." "Don't touch me. I'm going to be a future Politian." He said to someone else.

"Sorry."

He saw Joanna sitting with a bunch of guys. She had a huge can of miller light and she was chugging down the whole thing.

"Go! Go! Go! GO! GO! GO! Go! Go!" They shouted.

"Done!" She yelled out. "Next!"

They handed her another can. She opened the top and started to chug it down.

"Whoa! Watch her go!"

Alex moved forward and grabbed the can from her.

"Alex! What are you doing? I was drinking that!"

He grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the crowd and into the kitchen.

"I guess Alex found Joanna." Mallory commented.

"So what did you do, deliberately come to trash the party or just spoil my time?"

"No I came here to make amends and apologize to you over how I acted and to make sure you didn't make a fool out of yourself but I was obviously too late."

"Ok so you were right about that John fellow, but it's not the end of the world. I made plenty of new friends before you came and pulled me away like I was 13 years old, I could have had a chance of meeting someone nice."

He shook his head and looked down at the floor.

"AH...do I detect a look of disapproval in your eye? Tough beans, buddy. Cause that's the way it's going to be."

Joanna turned away from him but something caught her eye up on the fridge, a bottle of some sorts.

"Joanna, you're drunk." Alex told her. She looked at him and nodded.

"True." She admitted. "Absolutely true. True but irrelevant." She pulled out a cabinet drawer and used it to level herself up to the surface. Alex was close behind her trying to make sure she didn't fall.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Alex asked her.

She found what she was looking for and sat down in the sink with the bottle of whiskey in her hand and waved it in front of Alex.

"I think we should have a drink. The two of us. To the new Joanna Davis…"

"The _new_?"

"That's right. I am not going to waste time being afraid of anything anymore. Listen to me Alex P. Keaton. Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand-and melting like a snowflake... I don't have enough time to be afraid. It has always held me down and from now on I am going to change all of that." She went to pour herself a glass of Whiskey. "It's empty. That's too bad." She looked up at Alex. "Hey, could you be a doll and open that fridge and find me something good?"

"I could, but you've had enough." He told her.

"Go ahead." She put the bottle on the counter and climbed out of the kitchen sink. "Get it for me. I'll _pay_ you for it."

"Joanna." Alex followed her as she rummaged through her purse looking for money. "Don't do this."

Nick walked in just when Joanna stood up and faced Alex holding a bill in her hand.

"Hey Alex – Mallory wanted to know if the two of you wanted to head out to get a bite to eat with us?"

"First of all I will not accept drinks from disapproving gentlemen." Joanna told Alex. "So take it. In about 25 years when you're president you'd be taking money from all of us anyway." She tossed a 20 dollar bill at him. Alex looked down at the bill; he tensed up. She could see the veins bulging in his neck; he looked like he was ready to explode. He turned around stormed out of the room and then came back pointing a finger in her face. His body was close up to hers as he had her pinned up against the counter.

"I'd be a little more careful with my money Jo." Alex told her. "If you spend it all on drinks, you won't have enough to pay for those taxes. And don't think because you were apart of my family that you get any special privileges or anything like that. When I'm in office there is going to be a big picture of your face in the white house for everyone to see and under it - my motto: Pay up or go to jail."

"Sounds similar to King John's motto."

"And who are you going to be Robin Hood?" Alex asked.

"Maybe. I'll steal from the rich and give to the poor."

"Quit while you are a head." Alex told her his eyes gleaming into hers. "I own you."

"A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits." She repeated the Richard Nixon quote.

"I could kiss you right now."

"Go ahead and do it."

Alex grabbed her shoulders and kissed her.

Nick scratched his head.

"Uh … I'll leave you two a lone to decide. We leave in about an hour."

Nick came back into the room.

"So are they going to come with us?" Mallory asked.

"I don't know. They were kind of busy. I didn't get an answer."

"Busy doing what?"

"Uh arguing about some political thing."

"That's so typical of them."


	34. Too Much Sinatra

Too Much Sinatra

Joanna woke up and stretched. She looked to her left and saw that Alex was sleeping next to her.

"Alex!" He opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Joanna? What's wrong?"

"This!"

"What?"

She sat on the edge of the bed clutching herself. "How could I let this happen? How could I be so careless?"

"Joanna …." Alex reached for her, but she jerked away.

"We never went home last night. We never left with Mallory or Nick. What are they going to think happened?" She asked.

"No one is going to know. They didn't see anything."

"We were all over each other in the kitchen … someone let us use the guest room. This is so embarrassing."

"Joanna it's no big deal. If they ask I'll just say that you had a little bit too much to drink and you had to go to sleep and I stayed over to make sure you made it home ok. Just come back and lay with me. Don't worry about it."

"I can't believe we did this, Alex."

"It's not like we never been with each other before, Joanna."

"We can't be with each other. We can't be in a relationship."

"What does this have to do with being in a relationship?"

"You said you didn't want to be with me. We can't."

"I didn't say I didn't want to ever be with you Jo -– I want to be with you. You have no idea how much you mean to me. But things are going to be complicated when I go away. It doesn't mean that we can't ever share moments like this with each other." He moved closer to her and touched her arm. "Lets just make the best of what we have now."

"No. Please don't touch me Alex. I can't do this. I need to get out of here."

"Why does it always have to be ALL or nothing with you Joanna? Why? Why can't you just be there for me?"

She got up to get dressed and was ready to call for a cab.

"I need to get out of here!"

"Joanna … please don't do this. Don't be like this."

A month later when Alex lands his dream job inNew York, everyone's delighted for him, except Elyse and Joanna manages to avoid seeing Alex by isolating herself from the house. As Steven helps Andy rehearse for his school play on dental hygiene, Alex bursts into the Keaton kitchen with a rousing chorus of "New York, New York", and the news that he's been hired by one of Wall Street's biggest investment firms. The family is thrilled, but Elyse is somewhat taken aback when she learns that Alex is expected to move immediately.

While everyone pitches in to help Alex get ready, Elyse becomes miffed over a family photo that he packed without her permission and a palpable tension begins to develop. In the course of packing, Alex battles wits with Jennifer, accepts fashion tips from Mallory, receives fatherly advice from Steven and shares some final moments with Nick, Skippy and Lauren. All the while, Elyse continues to withdraw from him and Joanna refuses to speak with him which causes even more tension.

Elise becomes even more upset when the family plans to go out to dinner together and Alex begs off, claiming he is just too busy to spare the time. Elyse finally explodes.

"I swear that's all I've been hearing lately!New York!New York!" Elise said in the living room.

"Well maybe you're listening to too much Sinatra." Alex told her.

"Well you're definitely funny, Alex." Elise said to him without sounding too impressed.

"What is going on with you mom?" Alex asked. "Ever since I got this job you've been treating me like I am not a member of this family."

"A member of this family would be going out for pizza because that is what the family is doing tonight."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing! I have some important things to do tonight. Why is that so hard to understand?"

"What I don't understand is how you've been acting since this whole job situation happened."

"Ok mom. Fine. Why don't you just tell me how I've been acting?"

"Like an ungrateful … arrogant … selfish …. Insufferable little boy, who doesn't have any time for his family now that he's become such a big shot!"

"Well if that's the way you feel about it mom, then that's your problem." Alex told her.

"No no Alex that's your problem …"

"No that's your problem!"

Joanna walked into the living room in the middle of the fight - Alex looks at his mom and then back to Joanna and he says, "I really can't take this - between the two of you - I feel like you hate me and don't want me to go toNew York."

Mallory and Jen are standing on the stairway now listening and watching. Steven is sitting on the couch asking them to mellow it down, because he doesn't want to upset Andy.

Elise says:

"You know what Alex; you deal with your own crap. Don't drag Joanna into it. You've been insensitive to her since the day she came here. You think everyone hates you. What about you hating Joanna!"

"You think I hate her?" Alex asked his voice cracking.

"Well you obviously don't love her!" Elise tells him. His eyes were hard blue rocks, his mouth an angry line. Suddenly Alex walked towards Joanna grabs her firm against the shoulders and kissed her, hard—his teeth grinding into her mouth.

"Alex!" Mallory yelled out. "What are you doing?" Mallory and Jen paraded down the steps.

Alex wouldn't let Joanna go—even when she tried to pull away from him. He had her pinned up against the wall, kissing her more.

"Alex let go her!" Mallory told him. He loosened his grip and Joanna pushed him off from her.

She covered her mouth and then jetted out of the living room and out into the rain. Alex grabbed his coat and ran after her.

Elise scratched the top of her head for a moment looked at Steven and then back at Jen and Mallory. "Ok … uh who wants to go out for Italian?"

"I really didn't expect that happen." Jen noted.

"Come on … let's go." Steven agreed with Elise.

"What about Alex and Jo?" Mallory asked. "Should we go look for them?"

"They have some issues they need to work out." Steven said. "They will find us when they are ready."


	35. Three Words

Three Words

"You run faster than a tiger." Alex said to her. "You remind me of that cat Pepe le Pew is always chasing."

"Penelope?" She looked at him as they lay on their backs looking up at the stars.

"Yeah. Except I don't think you are running away from me because I have a bad case of B.O, well I hope not." Alex joked.

I'm sorry if I embarrassed you for running out like that. Joanna told him. "I just didn't expect it. Things have been rocky between us. I think it's mainly because of how I feel."

"How do you feel?"

"Well, it's just when it comes to relationships and people telling me they love me – it just hurts, even though I know that I love that person, I just feel like I don't deserve them. I guess that is my all fault and my own insecurity. The insecurity that I claim ruins me was the cage that I built around myself - and it follows me everywhere. No matter where I ran to, I just end up running into myself. I need to be careful who I become close to. They need to be aware of my situation and my past and I need to be aware of theirs and how their father treated them in the past. The way a father treats his family plays a big role in that person's mindset about their life and their selves. Your father is a great person and regards all of you as important aspects of his life – which is why I have no doubts that when you find the love of your life and start your own family, you' be just as great as Steven or Elise for that matter. I will not let anyone put me in a cage. I will not let anyone hurt me again."

Alex looked into Joanna's eyes, and knew without asking that the smile masked something else. He knew it because he lived it for so long himself - all of the jealous envy, hateful spite, misdirected anger, threats, etc - and everyone denying it or minimizing it because they were financially corrupted and attached to the hate, although they didn't distribute it directly, they were still either justifying it, denying it, or saying everyone was like that.

"Joanna - the thing is- everyone is NOT like that - maybe in this town or area, but the world is a big place - hate jealousy and envy can only go so far. And like Ann Landers always said: "no one can repeatedly abuse you without YOUR permission. You shouldn't not give any one a chance to be with you because you are afraid of what they will abuse you later down the road."

"I don't need to be with anyone. I am going to move away and live alone and I am going to be happy. I will write. I will do my own thing and I won't have to depend on anyone.

Before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience. That's a quote by To Kill A mockingbird."

"I know I read the book, Joanna." Joanna looked at Alex and saw the expression on his face. She took a deep breath.

"Oh please don't look at me like that, Alex In 4 months I am going move and you won't have to see me again."

"I'm not going to let you do this."

"You're not going to let me? What do you care?"

"What do I _care_? Joanna, I'm in love with you!"

"Alex – please." She suddenly had a deep mystified look, as if finally acknowledging that a train had just run her over -but she somehow had the ability to walk away.

"And not everyone is so aggressive, so critical. So neurotic, insecure egotistical that it's totally obvious in public - some people actually still have morals, standards, class, etc - even when I'm screaming – I'm not like that. I'm not going to transform into an abusive monster in 2 months a year, 5 years or ever! I'm not going to trap someone and make them my prisoner. If that's what it takes for guys to get with someone, I'd rather be alone. I'm not going to let you down Joanna, but you have to believe first that I'm the total opposite of that. You have to trust me, whether we talk every day, once a week ect. I'm still the same person inside and out." Alex was fuming.

Joanna's heart stopped for a moment. She tried to think of something to say… anything. But she just kind of gasped. Alex noticed the pause, saw the pain on her face, the jaded sickness flash -just for a second before her beautiful smile reappeared. He wanted to grab her right there and hold her, love her for that smile - not fake like most others, to say that smile was fake would be like saying the sunrise is fake… or to say the 1st taste of warm weather in 1st spring after an 8 month winter is fake.

"You said it for yourself so many times. It doesn't exist. As soon as someone gets their heart broken, they are ready to say love isn't real. But I am not going to let that happen to me. I am not going to let myself believe and then have my heart broken." Joanna explained.

"Joanna, I know what I said in the past. I know that I was hurt after my break ups. But I am taking it back. I want to love you. I want to be with you. Take care of. I want you to be my wife."

Joanna felt a tingling sensation she thought she never felt before - starting in her chest (heart) and working back up her spine and down her gorgeous legs. "Alex..." Joanna melted into his arms, which were tight from working out the frustration so much- he held her, stroked her hair and began kissing her open mouth. This time she leaned into him even harder, and she knew that she found her true love.


End file.
